INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A Vero Beach doctor arrested Thursday on felony drug trafficking and robbery charges has been fighting financial battles in court for nearly a decade.

Johnny Clyde Benjamin Jr., 51, of the Pro Spine Center, was arrested and charged with felony attempted trafficking in fentanyl, felony robbery by sudden snatching and felony grand theft, according to an Indian River County arrest affidavit.

Indian River County court records show Benjamin, of the 900 block of Painted Bunting Lane in Vero Beach, where he was arrested, has been sued 13 times since 2008. Eleven of those cases dealt with financial disputes.

More:Pro Spine Center doctor arrested on drug, robbery charges sued 13 times this decade

What happened

Detectives were initially called to Pro Spine Center in the 1300 block of 37th Street to assist with what was reported as Benjamin snatching someone's phone, according to his arrest affidavit.

The man told authorities Benjamin was speaking to him in the office when Benjamin suddenly "grabbed" the phone and "was able to forcibly rip it from (the man's) hands." The man said Benjamin then placed the phone in a Planters peanut jar next to his desk, which was filled with cotton balls.

When a detective arrived to the office, Benjamin had left for the day. He was found and taken into custody at a home on Painted Bunting Lane about 3:45 p.m. Thursday.

He was first charged with two felonies related to the allegations of taking the $300 phone. He was then served with an additional charge of attempted trafficking in fentanyl. That charge was filed by the state Attorney's Office.

Fentanyl, first developed in 1959, is a powerful synthetic opioid and is about 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Fentanyl often is cut with heroin and has been linked to many overdose deaths.

Benjamin remained Friday in the Indian River County Jail, with bail set at $820,000.

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Prosecution, defense weigh in

Assistant State Attorney Ryan Butler declined comment about the attempted fentanyl trafficking charge.

But asked how the cellphone incident could turn into that charge, Butler said, “Don’t assume that one stemmed from the other.”

He declined comment on whether federal officials were working on the case.

Butler also said he couldn’t comment on which agency is investigating Benjamin in connection with the drug charge, citing “ongoing investigative issues.”

Benjamin is a controlled substance prescriber and also can order medical and low-THC cannabis, Florida Department of Health records show.

Brad Dalton, a spokesman with the Florida Department of Health, said Benjamin's license is "clear and active." He has staff privileges at Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach.

"An arrest or waiting for trial is not evidence of wrongdoing and our statutes recognize this by providing that only a conviction or plea is actionable," Dalton said in an email. "However, any time that we discover that a licensed practitioner has been arrested, we begin a preliminary investigation and monitor the situation for a conviction."

More:Narcotics unit makes targeting top-level drug dealers ongoing effort in Indian River County

Attorney Andrew Metcalf represents Benjamin, records show. He has a hearing scheduled Oct. 20 to ask a judge to lower his bail.

Metcalf on Friday said he is gathering information and declined comment on the facts of the case.

“Dr. Benjamin has a stellar reputation in our community and frankly statewide as a fine physician,” Metcalf said. “He’s a pillar of our community, well known in Indian River County.”

He said he found the allegations “impossible to believe.”

“We will be defending Dr. Benjamin’s good name and we will defend him aggressively,” Metcalf said.

Benjamin’s bail is based mostly on the charge of attempted trafficking in fentanyl — $800,000 for that alone. He must surrender his passport and be outfitted with a GPS device at the jail before being released, court records show.

Court records also indicate he must not prescribe medicine.

Metcalf said he hopes that condition can be eliminated and that Benjamin soon will be back to work.

Benjamin's license, issued in March 1996, expires in January 2019. His address of record is the Pro Spine Center.

More:Fort Pierce woman charged with attempted murder after drug deal ends in overdose

Financial issues

Court records show Benjamin has been sued 13 times since 2008. Eleven of those cases dealt with financial disputes.

Suntrust Bank sued Benjamin in September 2016, alleging he owed $996,177.06 after defaulting on a mortgage for a house on the 8100 block of Seacrest Drive.

The company owning the building out of which Benjamin runs his practice attempted to evict him in December 2015.

He was sued for wrongful death in 2011 and for malpractice in 2013.

A lawsuit in 2013, later dismissed, involved nonpayment for a $16,900 bracelet. According to the lawsuit, he didn’t have the money on him to buy it, and the jeweler agreed to let him leave with it and pay him later.

Benjamin reported he’s had no final disciplinary action against him in the last decade by a specialty board or licensing agency.

According to a biography on drjohnnybenjamin.com, Benjamin grew up in Houston, Texas, and graduated from Baylor University.

He completed his internship and residency at Temple University Hospital in Pennsylvania, and had a fellowship at the Florida Spine Institute in Clearwater in 1997, according to Department of Health records.

Staff reporter Melissa E. Holsman contributed to this report.