Florida Doctor Convicted of Supplying Opioids to Drug Trafficking Operation
Florida’s pill mills are the stuff of legend, but by now, they belong to the legendary past. There was a time, so the story goes, when drug dealers would make road trips to Florida from across the southeastern United States to visit shady pain clinics in strip malls, and licensed physicians would prescribe untold quantities of opioids with few questions asked. By now, we all know the story of the twilight of the pill mills. People turned to heroin and to counterfeit opioid pills, sold on the Internet, which as often as not contained fentanyl. These days, the big shipments of drugs tend to originate in transactions on the dark web, followed by nondescript looking packages of white powder to be pressed into pills. Meanwhile, they say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and sometimes you still see the old-fashioned distribution of opioids, where elderly doctors operating out of pain management clinics prescribe more pills than anyone could reasonably need. If you are a physician being accused of prescribing opioids that you knew the recipient would misuse, contact a Florida drug offenses attorney.
A Relic From Florida’s Pill Mill Days
Most people dream of retiring from the workforce as early as their financial situation allows, but in some professions, people aspire to continue practicing their profession for as long as their health will permit. Medicine is one of the professions where it is possible to earn enough money to retire at or before age 65, but the work is so rewarding that many doctors continue practicing medicine well into their 70s.
Daniel Alberto Carpman operated a pain management clinic in Miami for many years. Several years ago, authorities became suspicious about the large volume of immediate release opioid pills he dispensed. An investigation revealed that he prescribed more than two million doses over several years. It also revealed that some of the patients who received these enormous quantities of pills resold them. Prosecutors allege that Carpman knew that the pills were destined for the resale market.
Carpman, 72, pleaded not guilty in federal court, and his case went to trial. The jury convicted him of four counts of illegally distributing opioids and one count of conspiracy to illegally distribute opioids. He could face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Defendants convicted at trial usually get longer prison sentences than those who plead guilty.
News sources did not report which defenses Carpman advanced at his trial. If a physician is being accused of dispensing opioids for resale, the defendant might be able to argue persuasively that he or she reasonably believed that the drugs were medically necessary and that the recipients would take them as directed.
Contact FL Drug Defense Group About Drug Cases
A Central Florida criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges for knowingly prescribing controlled substances to people who intended to resell them. Contact FL Drug Defense Group in Orlando, Florida to discuss your case.
Source:
justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/florida-doctor-found-guilty-unlawfully-dispensing-and-distributing-opioids
