TAMPA, Florida — Two Tampa residents have been indicted on multiple charges related to the illegal distribution of controlled substances. Bridget Luzod, 42, and Victor Silva, MD, 79, face serious allegations, according to United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
The indictment charges Luzod and Silva with one count of conspiring to distribute controlled substances, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, 19 counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances, and 19 counts of unlawful distribution using a registration number issued to another person. If convicted on all counts, both face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also indicates that the United States intends to forfeit any money or assets traceable to the proceeds of the offenses.
According to the indictment, Luzod owned and operated Thrive Medical Clinic, an alternative medicine clinic in South Tampa, since September 2018. Despite portraying herself as a medical professional, Luzod only held a Florida basic x-ray machine operator license, which expired in 2018 and was not renewed until March 2024. She was not licensed to practice medicine in Florida and lacked a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number to prescribe controlled substances…