What Happened
Dr. Bernard Shelton, 67, of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, was sentenced in July 2024 to 20 years in federal prison after a trial conviction tied to a patient's overdose death resulting from his unlawful prescribing. He was also convicted on twenty-one charges of unlawful distribution of Schedule II, III and IV controlled substances. Evidence at trial showed he prescribed over 5.5 million doses between April 2013 and December 2016, including over 2.7 million doses of Schedule II drugs such as oxycodone and hydrocodone. The jury found he issued twenty-one prescriptions to seven patients outside the usual course of professional practice. He has not been allowed to prescribe controlled substances since 2017.
“He prescribed over 5.5 million doses of controlled substances between April 2013 and December 2016.”
Related Guidance
- 15 Red Flags of Drug Diversion — Behavioral and transactional indicators of diversion.
- Investigation Playbook — How to investigate suspected diversion inside an organization.