The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced Friday the indictment of Bridget Luzod, 42, and Victor Silva, M.D., 79, on multiple charges, including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and maintaining a drug-involved premises.
Luzod, who owned and operated the Thrive Medical Clinic in South Tampa, allegedly misrepresented herself as a doctor or nurse, though she only held a basic X-ray machine operator license that expired in 2018 and had not been renewed until March 2024. Luzod was not licensed to practice medicine in Florida and lacked a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number required for prescribing controlled substances.
Around March 2020, Luzod hired Dr. Silva as Thrive’s medical director. However, Dr. Silva, despite being listed as the medical director, did not examine patients, prescribe treatments, or review medical files at the clinic. From 2020 to 2024, Luzod reportedly paid Silva a monthly stipend for access to his DEA registration number, which she used to prescribe controlled substances such as Adderall, testosterone, hydrocodone, and phentermine to patients, friends, and family members.
Luzod is accused of routinely forging Silva’s signature or using a rubber stamp to authorize these prescriptions.
If convicted, both Luzod and Silva face up to 20 years in federal prison. Additionally, the indictment seeks the forfeiture of any proceeds or assets tied to the crimes.
An indictment is a formal charge, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.