A jury in Texas convicted a doctor and the clinic's office manager of running a pill-mill operation distributing more than 600,000 opioid pills in exchange for cash, the Department of Justice said.
The 73-year-old doctor and his 29-year-old employee ran a Houston pain management clinic and are accused of illegally prescribing high amounts of controlled substances, including hydrocodone, carisoprodol, and alprazolam to patients.
Court documents state that the operation did not document legitimate medical reasons for prescribing the medications.
The Justice Department said the clinic is estimated to have received $1.2 million in cash over fourteen months. Patients are said to have been paying between $250 and $500 per person.
The doctor was convicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and dispense a controlled substance and multiple counts of illegally distributing controlled substances.
The office manager and doctor both face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.
