A North Carolina man pleaded guilty last week to conspiring to distribute medically illegitimate prescriptions for Schedule II opioids and Suboxone.
Court documents indicate that Charles Wilson Adams, Jr., 50, of Dobson, N.C., worked for “Company L” that operated medical clinics in the Western District of Virginia – including in the Galax, Lynchburg and Christiansburg areas.
Adams worked as a counselor for the company, though he had not applied to the Virginia Board of Counseling to become a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor.
Adams was referred to inside of Company L as “Dr.” but has never been a medical practitioner or possessed the authority to prescribe controlled substances.
Adams reportedly admitted that he and other non-medical professionals exerted influence or control over medical decisions and treatment of patients – including the prescribing of Schedule II pain medications and Suboxone, a Schedule III drug used to treat opioid addiction.
As part of the plea, Adams acknowledged that Company L employees pre-signed blank prescriptions for distribution to patients without office visits.
Further, at the direction of Company L’s owner and others, employees used DEA registration numbers of medical providers to prescribe Suboxone to patients, even when those providers were in other cities and states and did not see the patients.
Adams was aware of Company L’s practices.
He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to use, in the course of the distribution of controlled substances, the DEA registration number of another; one count of conspiring to distribute Suboxone; and one count of conspiring to distribute oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, methadone, and fentanyl.
Adams is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 29, 2021.
Tags: Arrests Drug Trafficking DTO Fentanyl Healthcare Diversion Hydrocodone Methadone Morphine Oxycodone Patient Harm Pill Mills Rx Fraud Suboxone
