Doctor Facing Drug Charges For Intent To Distribute

Licensed medical doctors are legally permitted to prescribe certain medications to patients, providing that the prescriptions are warranted and based on a legitimate medical reason. A Virginia doctor recently had his medical license suspended by the state board of medicine after facing more than 700 drug charges.

According to reports, the doctor is accused of unlawfully distributing and dispensing prescription medications, such as oxycontin, oxycodone, morphine sulfate and fentanyl patches to approximately 31 patients over the course of two years. He allegedly issued prescriptions for these medications without a legitimate medical reason.

The doctor has also been charged with drug possession with intent to distribute certain Schedule II controlled substances and maintaining a place for the purpose of illegally distributing these substances. The doctor has been released on bond, on the condition that he would be prohibited from prescribing medication. He will face trial later this year.

Anyone can face drug charges, even medical doctors. People facing drug charges risk losing their careers and reputations, in addition to the potential legal consequences. Possession with intent to distribute generally results in more serious consequences than possession for personal use. However, it can also be difficult for prosecutors to prove the requisite intent. A criminal defense attorney may evaluate your case and come up with a defense strategy that pokes holes in the prosecutors’ arguments or invalidates the evidence against you. For example, if you can show that police exceeded their authority and committed an unlawful search, the evidence they seized may be suppressed from evidence. If the strategy is successful, your charges could be reduced or dropped.