S. Florida Doctor Gets 5 Years for Opioid

What Happened

Dr. Ronald Lubetsky, a South Florida physician, was sentenced in January 2023 to five years in prison for unlawfully dispensing oxycodone and morphine. He had been convicted at trial in November on seven counts of unlawfully dispensing narcotics. Trial evidence showed he prescribed large doses of opioid pain medication not supported by any demonstrable medical need, and an expert witness testified his practices were far outside generally accepted medical practice. Twice, after a patient told him she had sold or given away some oxycodone pills, he issued her more prescriptions. The DEA Miami Field Division investigated the case.

“Dr. Ronald Lubetsky was sentenced today to five years in prison”
U.S. Department of Justice / U.S. Attorney's Office press release, Jan 10, 2023

Related Guidance

15 Red Flags of Drug Diversion — Behavioral and transactional indicators of diversion.
Investigation Playbook — How to investigate suspected diversion inside an organization.

Sources

U.S. Department of Justice / U.S. Attorney's Office press release, Jan 10, 2023

Case at a Glance

Setting: Physician practice
Drug: Oxycodone, morphine
Method: Prescribed large opioid doses without demonstrable medical need
Status: Sentenced January 2023 to five years in prison; convicted at trial in November on seven counts

Source: U.S. Department of Justice

What this case shows

Where this record connects to the site's working material. Links are chosen from the case's setting, drug and method fields.

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Last reviewed: September 2026 · Educational content, not legal advice.

About the author

DivertGuard is built and maintained by Alex Rodriguez, MHIIM, CPhT (also known as Jesus Rodriguez) — a drug diversion prevention program manager with more than a decade in pharmacy practice, including direct responsibility for a health-system controlled substance diversion prevention program.

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Registry Insights: Sentences, Fines, States and Outcomes

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S. Florida Doctor Gets 5 Years for Opioid Dispensing