Here are four cases in which physicians have been sentenced or pleaded guilty to overprescribing controlled substances:
1. Denton, Texas-based family medicine physician Stanley Charles Evans, MD, has been sentenced to 40 months in prison for overprescribing opioids. Beginning in 2017, Dr. Evans unlawfully prescribed approximately 370,000 dosage units of hydrocodone without a legitimate medical purpose.
2. Former Modesto, Calif.-based physician Sawtantra Chopra, MD, pleaded guilty to three counts of illegally prescribing opioids. Dr. Chopra, who surrendered his medical license in 2020 as the case was pending, admitted to prescribing hydrocodone, alprazolam and promethazine with codeine syrup without a legitimate medical purpose.
3. Cherry Hill, N.J.-based physician Cheh Lu, MD, pleaded guilty to improperly prescribing oxycodone. From January 2018 and February 2022, Dr. Lu, 86, allegedly offered prescriptions "without interacting with [patients] by any means or in any way," a plea agreement said.
4. Two New Jersey physicians were charged with unlawful distribution after allegedly improperly prescribing painkillers during patient visits. The physicians, Emanuel Lamprou Jr., MD, of Cherry Hill, and Felicia Gonzalez, DO, of Toms River, allegedly prescribed the medication in March while practicing at Cherry Hill Pain Management & Wellness.