What Happened
A federal court in the Northern District of Texas permanently prohibited Dallas-area physicians Cesar B. Pena Rodriguez and Leovares A. Mendez from prescribing or distributing controlled substances, the Justice Department announced in October 2024. A 2019 civil complaint alleged they issued thousands of opioid prescriptions outside the usual course of professional practice, including the combination known as the trinity. Consent judgments imposed civil penalties of $914,021 on Pena Rodriguez and $291,451 on Mendez. In a separate criminal case, Pena Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy and was sentenced to two years, and Mendez was convicted at trial and sentenced to seven years.
“The orders entered by the court permanently prohibit Pena Rodriguez and Mendez from ever again prescribing, dispensing, administering or distributing controlled substances.”
Related Guidance
- 15 Red Flags of Drug Diversion — Behavioral and transactional indicators of diversion.
- Investigation Playbook — How to investigate suspected diversion inside an organization.