Prescriber drug diversion cases
134 documented cases, 1997–2026.
Figures are derived from the 931 case records collected on this site, not from any official total. A record counts here when its Role field, or failing that its title, names one of these roles: 20 from the Role field, 114 from the title.
Roles counted: Physician / surgeon (124) · Dentist / oral surgery (6) · Veterinarian (4).
Monetary penalties stated
Median: $100,000
Smallest $5,000 · largest $956,709
Median of 22 amounts in US dollars (civil settlements and penalties, criminal fines, restitution, forfeiture) stated in 20 of 134 records. 114 records state no dollar amount.
Custodial sentences stated
Shortest: 12 months
Longest: 276 months (23 years)
37 prison or jail terms stated in 37 of 134 records. Probation, supervised release, home confinement and suspended terms are not counted.
Drug classes involved
| Drug class | Records |
|---|---|
| Opioids | 75 |
| Other controlled substance | 53 |
| Benzodiazepines | 10 |
| Stimulants | 9 |
| Anesthetics / sedatives | 4 |
| Anabolic steroids | 1 |
| No drug stated | 2 |
A record naming drugs from two classes counts in both.
States with the most records
| State | Records |
|---|---|
| Maryland | 22 |
| New York | 9 |
| Ohio | 9 |
| Pennsylvania | 9 |
| California | 7 |
| Michigan | 7 |
| Hawaii | 5 |
| Illinois | 4 |
36 states and territories in all; every state.
Settings involved
| Setting | Records |
|---|---|
| Other / not classified | 112 |
| Hospital / health system | 13 |
| Dental / oral surgery | 6 |
| No setting stated | 3 |
Other roles
Cases
Newest first · page 1 of 6, 1–25 of 134
- Emergency Department Physician Pleads Guilty to 19 Counts of Illegally Prescribing Opioids and Stimulants 2026-10-21 · Pensacola, Florida · Hospital / health system
- Doctor Convicted of Distributing Over 2 Million Stimulant Pills on the Done ADHD Platform 2026-10-02 · Western District of Michigan · Other / not classified
- Virginia Physician's DEA Registration Revoked After Concurrent Opioid-Benzodiazepine Prescribing Killed Two Patients 2026-08-28 · Great Falls, Virginia · Other / not classified
- Pottstown Physician Pays $100,000 to Settle Controlled Substances Act Violations 2026-07-02 · Pottstown, Pennsylvania · Other / not classified
- Seattle Anesthesiology Resident Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl and Hydromorphone While Treating Children 2026-02-02 · Seattle, Washington · Hospital / health system
- Portland Veterinarian Diverted Controlled Substances, Replaced with Saline 2026-01-20 · Portland, Oregon · Other / not classified
- New York Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · New York · Other / not classified
- Veterinarian charged with issuing controlled substance prescriptions without documentation and providing medications for non-patient use 2025-10 · Snohomish County, Washington · Other / not classified
- West Virginia Veterinarian Ordered to Pay $956,709 Over Unaccounted-For Opioids 2025-08-05 · Winfield, West Virginia · Other / not classified
- UCSF pediatric anesthesiologist arrested after being found unconscious with a propofol syringe 2025-03-05 · Other / not classified
- West Virginia Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2025) 2025 · West Virginia · Other / not classified
- Virginia Physician Sentenced in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2025, case 2) 2025 · Virginia · Other / not classified
- Virginia Physician Sentenced in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2025) 2025 · Virginia · Other / not classified
- Michigan Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2025) 2025 · Michigan · Other / not classified
- Maine Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2025) 2025 · Maine · Other / not classified
- District of Columbia Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2025) 2025 · District of Columbia · Other / not classified
- Physician diverted Demerol from patients for personal use 2024-12 · Dallas, TX · Other / not classified
- Vermont revokes compact-licensed physician after Kentucky revocation tied to federal controlled-substance indictment 2024-11-06
- Berlin pain practice, physician and physician assistant settled claims over prescribing after inconsistent drug tests 2024-10-23 · Other / not classified
- Jackson, Kentucky Clinic Physician Pays $450,000 Over Invalid Prescriptions and Lab Kickbacks 2024-09-27 · Jackson, Kentucky · Other / not classified
- Savannah-Area Weight-Loss Clinic Physician Pays $100,000 Over Controlled-Substance Recordkeeping Failures 2024-09-11 · Savannah, Georgia · Other / not classified
- Oklahoma City Anesthesiologist Convicted of Diverting Hospital Opioids 2024-07-11 · Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · Hospital / health system
- Physician terminated by employer for diverting fentanyl, versed and dilaudid from patients 2024-06 · Tampa, FL · Other / not classified
- Eastern Kentucky physician and clinic nurse sentenced for conspiracy to issue illegitimate opioid prescriptions 2024-03 · Other / not classified
- Former Scripps Encinitas anesthesiologist placed on seven-year probation for taking and self-administering propofol and opioids 2024-03 · Hospital / health system
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Disclaimer
Case summaries are based on public records (DOJ press releases, court documents, licensing-board orders, news reports). Charges are allegations unless a conviction is noted. Analysis is educational, not legal advice.
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