The six people arrested last week in the closing of a pain clinic in Waverly have been arraigned in federal court.

Nancy Sadler, 47, Lester Sadler, aka “Ape”, 55, James Sadler, 80, all of West Portsmouth; Lisa Clevenger, 48, of Stoutsville, a sister of Nancy Sadler; Sandy Wells, 52, of South Shore, Kentucky, and Brenda Banks, 57, of Columbus, Ohio, formerly a physician at the clinic, have all entered not guilty pleas.

Arraignment hearings were held in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati Wednesday afternoon for five of the defendants in the case of U.S. v Sadler. All five entered pleas of not guilty to all counts of the indictment. The sixth defendant, Brenda Banks, had an arraignment hearing on August 3. She entered not guilty pleas to all charges on that day.

Nancy Sadler, also known as Maria, Marie, and Renee, owner of the clinic is named in all 29 counts.

Lester Sadler, the husband of Nancy Sadler, is named in 27 counts.

Lisa Clevenger is charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of illegally maintaining a place to distribute a controlled substance.

James Sadler, father of Lester Sadler, is charged with one count of conspiracy and 24 counts of illegally distributing controlled substances.

Sandy Wells, is charged with one count of conspiracy.

Brenda Banks, formerly a physician at the clinic, is charged with one count of operating a continuing enterprise.

Fred Alverson, Law Enforcement Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Ohio, explained the importance of the charge of operating a continuing enterprise.

“It does take a while to put together,” Alverson said. “You have to build a lengthy record that the business is set up to commit crimes. But in order to prove that you have to look at financial records. You have to look at the number of people involved. You have to look at what all the business did.”

Alverson said it was significant because it carries a minimum 20 year sentence.

Alverson was not commenting on the Sadler case, but giving an overview of the use of the charge in general.

Judge Sandra S. Beckwith set a trial date of September 21, 2010 at 10 a.m. for all defendants in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati.

A federal grand jury last week indicted all six, charging them with conspiracy in connection with the operation of a fraudulent pain management clinic, Ohio Medical and Pain Management, LLC, in Waverly. Wells faces only a single count of conspiracy.

An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants should be presumed innocent until and unless the government proves their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

Frank Lewis may be reached at (740) 353-3101 Ext. 232 or flewis@heartlandpublications.com