Doctor gets 12 years in prison for fake opioid prescriptions
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A Michigan doctor will serve more than a decade in prison after authorizing more than 3,000 illegitimate opioid prescriptions.
Last week, Dr. Lawrence Sherman was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted by a jury on 20 criminal charges.
According to federal prosecutors, Sherman wrote the bogus prescriptions through the Tranquility Wellness Center between March 2020 and June 2021. He first worked out of the office’s Dearborn facility, and then in Saint Clair Shores.
Most of Sherman’s prescriptions were for Oxycodone, Oxymorphone and Percocet, which prosecutors called three of the most addictive forms of prescription opioids and the most highly sought-after opioids in the illegal drug trade.
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Federal agents executed search and arrest warrants against the Tranquility Wellness Center in June 2021. Four other members of the clinic also face charges. Two others have already taken plea deals and have been sentenced.
Prosecutors noted that most of Sherman’s patients were brought to the clinic by “patient recruiters.” The clinic only accepted cash, it charged patients “not based on the service provided, but instead based on the quantity, type and dosage of prescription opioids” that they received. It also charged patients additional fees for fraudulent medical documents.
Prosecutors say evidence shows the 75-year-old issued more than 270,000 doses of Schedule II opioid prescriptions during those 15 months. The drugs had an estimated street value of $6.3 million.
Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan, said this case highlights the agency’s efforts to hold medical professionals accountable for their role in the opioid crisis.
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“His actions endangered countless lives, which goes against the oath he took as a doctor,” Gibson stated. “We remain committed to investigating health care fraud and holding those who exploit their positions accountable.”
Said U.S. Attorney of Eastern Michigan Dawn Ison: “Health care professionals have both an opportunity and a duty to help address the terrible impact the opioid epidemic has had on our community, but Dr. Sherman chose to only make it worse.”
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