Atlanta VA worker accused of drug deals with patients quits his job

ATLANTA - A social worker at the Atlanta VA caught on video allegedly buying methadone from patients is off the federal payroll, while DeKalb County prosecutors continue reviewing the evidence against him.

A VA spokeswoman confirmed Philip Fritz resigned while under investigation, effective August 13. That’s one week after the FOX 5 I-Team aired clips of cell phone videos showing him in his office allegedly discussing price with a patient, handling methadone bottles and putting some away behind his desk, and peeling off a label.

The Atlanta Veterans Administration Medical Center said in a statement that Fritz’s departure ends an internal investigation that lasted more than two years. The social worker kept his job throughout, but in a different position where he didn’t see patients.

"The employee resigned last week prior to the conclusion of the internal VA investigation, which could have resulted in administrative action – to include termination," the statement sent by a spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office told the I-Team it has obtained the case file from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, whose Office of Inspector General looked into veterans’ accusations against Fritz but hit a dead end after federal prosecutors passed on the case, according to a previous VA statement.

Active investigation

The DeKalb DA’s office has acknowledged the same "legal issues that may have tainted the original investigation," saying prosecution may not be possible, but the office will still take a hard look into the case. A DeKalb spokeswoman declined to elaborate on those potential legal issues.

"Because this is an active and open investigation, our office cannot comment any further," the spokeswoman said by email.

The I-Team reached out to Fritz about his resignation by phone and email, but he did not respond. He declined to answer questions when a reporter tried to talk to him in July.

"The allegations are false, whatever you're talking about," Fritz said just before entering his vehicle and driving away.

The I-Team previously reported how at least three veterans coping with addiction blew the whistle on Fritz in March 2022. At the time, he was their drug rehabilitation counselor, and they accused him of spending thousands of dollars over the course of years purchasing their methadone – a narcotic prescribed to help addicts kick hard drugs such as heroin and fentanyl by alleviating withdrawal symptoms.

Methadone, though, is itself a synthetic opioid which can be abused, can be addictive, and is illegal to buy or sell on the black market, a UGA pharmacology and toxicology expert told the I-Team.

‘I knew it was wrong’

Two of the veterans who reported Fritz even handed over cell phone videos showing alleged transactions taking place on federal property in Fritz’s office, which was part of the medical center’s opioid treatment clinic.

Army veteran Ontonio Bradley, who struggles with cocaine and opioid abuse, claimed in a federal court complaint that Fritz manipulated him.

"Inside, I knew that what I was doing was wrong," Bradley told the I-Team. "For my recovery, I knew it was wrong. But it's hard to get out of stuff like that when you’re deep into it."

Bradley and another vet, who did not wish to be named in this story, said they talked among themselves about what their counselor was doing, then decided to put a stop to it. Worried they wouldn't be believed, they said they secretly recorded the interactions in his office.

"I knew I needed to have physical proof," Bradley said.

The two men also gave VA investigators screen shots of Cash App receipts showing thousands of dollars paid to them by Fritz. Bradley told the I-Team that from 2020 to 2022, he believes Fritz paid him a total somewhere in the range of $16,000 to $17,000 for his methadone bottles.

Bradley and a different veteran filed a complaint against Fritz in U.S. District Court last year, citing "unethical coercion and psychological manipulation of the clients in his care."

"Instead of helping us to abstain from the use of illicit street drugs, we were encouraged to sell him our medication and told that it was ok to use illicit street drugs because more than likely we were (going) to use the drugs anyway," the complaint, which they filed on their own without an attorney, said.

Still state licensed

On a motion from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit – not on the merits, but because allegedly buying methadone would be outside the scope of Fritz's job duties for the VA, and because the federal government has sovereign immunity from civil claims, according to the judge’s order.

Fritz remains a licensed clinical social worker through the Georgia Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists.

The state board has not yet responded to questions from the I-Team about the veterans’ allegations, and the board’s website shows no disciplinary measures or board actions concerning Fritz’s license.

UPDATE: The licensing board confirmed on Thursday that Fritz is now under investigation by the state. The Georgia Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists received a complaint related to the same allegations at the Atlanta VA and has an open case, a spokesman for the Georgia Secretary of State said.