A psychiatrist practicing in Cape May County, New Jersey pleaded guilty in June 2026 to 17 felony counts tied to issuing invalid prescriptions for controlled substances, including the stimulants Adderall and Vyvanse and the benzodiazepine Xanax. The physician admitted that the prescriptions were written outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.
According to court records described in the announcement, the prescriptions went to multiple patients despite significant warning signs. These included known histories of substance abuse, prior overdose events, and information suggesting that some patients intended to divert or resell the medications. Some prescriptions were issued despite repeated concerns raised by family members and others about patient misuse. In at least one instance, the conduct involved a conscious or reckless risk of death or serious bodily injury.
Prosecutors alleged that the prescriptions were written with the intent of misleading pharmacies, insurers, government benefit programs and other entities responsible for payment. The case was resolved through a federal guilty plea rather than a trial.
As part of the criminal proceedings, the physician surrendered a DEA registration and agreed to relinquish licenses to practice medicine and psychiatry, ending the ability to prescribe controlled substances. Sentencing was scheduled for October 2026.