A Texas physician is facing a long prison sentence after he was convicted last week of illegally prescribing more than a million pills of opioid hydrocodone, officials stated.
James Pierre was convicted of one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances and seven counts of unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27 and faces up to 20 years in prison for each count, according to authorities.
According to the evidence, Pierre, 52, a doctor, of Houston, unlawfully prescribed controlled substances from June 2015 through July 2016.
The drugs were given to individuals posing as patients at West Parker Medical Clinic (West Parker), a pill-mill clinic located in Houston, officials stated.
Trial evidence showed that Pierre, along with his physician assistant, issued unlawful prescriptions for hydrocodone and carisoprodol, a combination of controlled substances known as the “Las Vegas Cocktail,” to hundreds of individuals posing as patients each week.
So-called “runners” brought numerous people to pose as patients at West Parker and paid approximately $220 to $500 in cash for each visit resulting in prescriptions for dangerous drugs.
Throughout the scheme, the evidence indicated that West Parker made approximately $1.7 million from prescriptions, and over $300,000 went to Pierre.
To date, one co-conspirator has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances.
DEA Houston investigated the case.