Indian-origin doctor pleads guilty as prescribed opioids kill 2 in US

An Indian-origin doctor has pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with his unlawful prescription of powerful opioids, which led to the deaths of two patients due to overdose. The doctor, Sanjay Mehta, had minimal experience with chronic pain patients and no training in prescribing Schedule-II narcotics when he was recruited at a clinic in Virginia where he worked between 2012 and 2015, according to US authorities.

The 57-year-old doctor from Shady Spring, West Virginia, who was first indicted in 2018, appeared before a court and pleaded guilty to three counts of aiding and abetting the obtaining of a controlled substance by fraud.

“Mehta admitted to unlawful prescription practices at HOPE (Hitech Opioid Pharmachovigilance Expertise) Clinic, a purported pain management clinic that operated in Beckley, Beaver and Charleston, West Virginia, and Wytheville, Virginia,” the US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of West Virginia said in a statement.

According to the court documents and statements, the 57-year-old lacked both experience and proper training in treating chronic pain or prescribing Schedule II narcotics, which include highly addictive opioids.

Six other physicians also pleaded guilty to separate charges in lieu of the indictment.

“Mehta worked at the Beckley HOPE Clinic from November 2012 through July 2013 and the Beaver HOPE Clinic from August 2013 through May 2015. Mehta had little to no experience in dealing with chronic pain patients and no training in prescribing Schedule II narcotics for the treatment of chronic pain when he was recruited to work at HOPE Clinic,” the statement added.

INDIAN-ORIGIN DOCTOR PRESCRIBED POWERFUL OPIOIDS WITHOUT NEED

As part of his plea, Mehta admitted to writing unjustified prescriptions for oxycodone, methadone, and Roxicodone (a branded form of oxycodone hydrochloride) to three different patients at the clinic.

“Two of the three customers died of opioid intoxication within days of receiving their unlawful prescriptions,” the statement added.

The quantum of punishment will be announced on October 31.

Mehta faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $750,000 fine (approximatelty Rs 6.2 crore). Mehta also agreed to surrender his Drug Enforcement Administration Certificate of Registration, not oppose the revocation of his registration to dispense controlled substances, and not apply for re-registration, according to the statement.

Mehta was initially indicted in 2018 along with others associated with HOPE Clinic and Patients, Physicians and Pharmacists Fighting Diversion (PPPFD), which managed HOPE Clinic’s daily operations, it added.

The indictment alleges that from November 2010 to June 2015, the defendants conspired to distribute oxycodone and other Schedule II-controlled substances, not for legitimate medical purposes and outside the usual course of professional practice, according to the statement.

PPPFD owner-operator Mark T Radcliffe, 68, of Shady Spring, and co-defendant Michael T Moran, M D, 60, of Covington, Virginia, are scheduled for trial on October 6, 2025, the statement read.

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