Houston physician Gazelle Craig, DO, and pain management clinic owner Shane Faithful were each sentenced to 35 years in prison for running an alleged pill mill.
Here's what you should know:
1. Dr. Craig and Mr. Faithful allegedly operated an illegal pill mill out of Houston-based Gulfton Community Health Center from March 2015 through July 2017.
2. In March, the two men were convicted of one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and three counts of unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances.
3. Dr. Craig illegally wrote about 18,252 prescriptions for more than 2.1 million doses of hydrocodone and about 15,649 prescriptions for more than 1.3 million doses of carisoprodol, according to evidence presented at trial.
4. Hydrocodone and carisoprodol can be mixed to form dangerous drug cocktail with no known medical benefit.
5. Dr. Craig was accused of unlawfully prescribing controlled substances to more than 60 patients a day. He and Mr. Faithful reportedly charged about $300 in cash for each prescription and split the proceeds, which often exceeded $15,000 a day.
6. "Crew leaders" sent numerous patients to the pain clinic to receive illegal prescriptions for controlled substances from Dr. Craig, federal officials said.