What Happened
In August 2024, Dr. Lonnie Parker, 59, a Texarkana, Arkansas physician, was sentenced to 87 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on two counts of distributing a Schedule II controlled substance without an effective prescription, with a concurrent 12-month term on two Schedule V counts. The DEA began investigating in 2018 after complaints about a suspected pill mill and a possible overdose death. Over a two-year period analyzed, Parker prescribed approximately 1.2 million dosage units of opiates, including oxycodone and hydrocodone, to about 1,508 patients, and about 16 gallons of promethazine with codeine cough syrup to about 29 patients.
“A Texarkana Physician was sentenced today to 87 months in prison followed by three years of supervised”
Related Guidance
- 15 Red Flags of Drug Diversion — Behavioral and transactional indicators of diversion.
- Investigation Playbook — How to investigate suspected diversion inside an organization.