DALLAS — A federal jury on Monday returned guilty verdicts late this afternoon against five individuals convicted for their roles in a pill mill conspiracy that operated in Dallas since 2010, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The evidence indicated that “dealers” would recruit “patients,” often from homeless shelters and drive them in groups to the Padron Wellness Clinic in Dallas.
The defendants were each convicted of one court of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances:
- Lisa L. Hollier, 44, of Sunnyvale, Texas
- Jose L. Martinez, 54, of Flower Mound, Texas
- Joesephis Austin, 60, of Dallas
- Patricia A. Bryant, 59, of Dallas
- Walter R. Hudspeth, 62, of Dallas
Co-conspirators physician Nicolas Padron, 54, of Garland, Texas, and Martinez opened the clinic in the fall of 2010. The clinic wasn’t a legitimate medical facility, but as a place to unlawfully obtain controlled substances, such as hydrocodone.
Padron and Martinez, the clinic’s business manager, charged cash only for office visits in which Padron would do little to no physical examination and prescribe a “cocktail” of controlled substances, including hydrocodone, a Schedule II controlled substance and alprazolam, a Schedule IV controlled substance, according to federal authorities.
Generally, they charged $250 for a new patient office visit and $185 for an established patient visit.
Federal officials said the dealers escorted the patients into the clinic, coordinated with Martinez and paid cash for the patients they brought. Padron would sometimes see two or more patients at a time in one exam room.
The bogus patients gave pills to dealers who would in turn sell them to dealers, who sold them on the streets for cash, federal officials stated.
Most of the patients were diagnosed by Dr. Padron with lower back pain and anxiety, without regard of their true condition; thus these prescriptions were medically unnecessary and outside the scope of professional practice.
Padron, who is awaiting sentencing, testified at trial. He pleaded guilty in September 2013 to his role in this conspiracy and is facing up to 10 years in federal prison.