Ex-Commanders trainer Ryan Vermillion reaches deal with prosecutors in opioid distribution case
Former Washington Commanders athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion reached a deal with prosecutors Friday to avoid criminal charges for illegally distributing opioids to players.
According to court records filed in the case, Vermillion acknowledged storing and distributing drugs like oxycodone to Commanders players, often by retaining leftover pills from one player's legitimate prescription and later giving them to another in "pill envelopes."
He also asked team doctors to write prescriptions "to cover for the fact that he had provided controlled substances to players without a legitimate prescription," according to a statement of facts filed in the case.
Vermillion will avoid charges in the case as long as he meets the terms of a deferred prosecution agreement, which will essentially place him under probation for the next calendar year.
He was also suspended indefinitely Friday by the NFL and fired by the Commanders, who had placed him on administrative leave last year after becoming aware of the investigation.
"The situation is unfortunate and although it resulted in no criminal charges, it was necessary to move forward in a different direction," Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said in a statement.
Attorneys for Vermillion and the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Virginia each declined to comment on the case.
The NFL and NFL Players Association said in a joint statement that Vermillion may apply for reinstatement after the first year of his suspension. They also said they will be jointly investigating whether the Commanders complied with the league's prescription drug monitoring program, which requires teams to track prescription drugs that are dispensed to players.
"The NFL also will require the Commanders medical and training staff to attend additional training regarding obligations under federal and state law and the collective bargaining agreement," the statement added.
Vermillion spent parts of two seasons as the head athletic trainer in Washington following 18 seasons in the same role with the Carolina Panthers. The Commanders placed him on administrative leave in October after Drug Enforcement Administration agents served a search warrant at the team's headquarters.
According to court records, the agents found multiple orange prescription bottles containing various painkillers, including oxycodone and tramadol. The labels on those bottles indicated that they had been prescribed to myriad players, including one who was no longer with the team and another who did not recall receiving a prescription from the doctor whose name was listed on the label.
Some of the bottles also contained more pills than the number listed on the prescription, according to court records. In one case, investigators found that a prescription had been forged but were unable to determine who had forged it.
As an athletic trainer, Vermillion is not legally permitted to prescribe or dispense painkillers such as oxycodone. That responsibility falls with team doctors. The league also has a medical liaison program for teams when they are on the road, connecting them with local doctors who can write prescriptions if painkillers are needed during or immediately after games.
Contributing: Mike Jones
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ryan Vermillion, ex-Commanders trainer, reaches deal in opioid case
