Texas doctor found guilty of dealing painkillers to homeless in ‘pill mill’ clinics
A North Texas doctor accused of being the supervising physician for a series of sham medical clinics including one in Arlington that distributed narcotics has been found guilty of setting up the “pill mills” by a federal jury.
The federal jury in Dallas reached their decision on Friday against Dr. Carlos Luis Venegas, who was referred to as a “pill mill” physician in federal court documents.
Jurors found Venegas guilty of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Venegas, 62, of Irving, faces a maximum of 20 years in a federal prison. The sentencing date has not been set.
“These pill mills help to perpetuate the tragic opioid crisis gripping our country,” said Erin Nealy Cox, the U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Texas, in a news release. “We cannot allow unscrupulous conduct by physicians to add to the supply of dangerous drugs on the streets.”
Last year, an average of 116 people died per day from opioid overdoses in America, Cox said.
Before Venegas’ trial began, several of his co-defendants including a few clinic managers and nurse practitioners pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme.
The medical clinics which are now closed included Arlington Oaks Medical Clinic on Billings Street, Great Southwest Medical Clinic in Dallas, Redbird Family Medical Clinic in Dallas and KSW Medical Management in DeSoto. DeSoto is about 15 miles south of Dallas.
Federal agents described “pill mills” as facilities that appear to be medical clinics but in reality distribute large quantities of controlled substances such as hydrocodone to residents without regard for medical necessity or therapeutic benefit to a patient. These clinics may employ licensed medical practitioners
Venegas oversaw the illegal prescription of nearly 1 million units of narcotics, mostly hydrocodone and alprazolam, authorities said.
In the trial, witnesses testified that members of the conspiracy paid the homeless and indigent people sometimes $150 to $175 to pose as patients seeking pain medication. The homeless and indigent would be coached on how to describe their nonexistent symptoms.
At the clinics, witnesses told the federal jury, nurse practitioners working under Venegas’ supervision conducted only cursory medical exams.
This story was originally published February 3, 2019 at 11:23 AM with the headline "Texas doctor found guilty of dealing painkillers to homeless in ‘pill mill’ clinics."
