According to GovTribe, a website that tracks payments to federal contractors, Munzing is paid $300 an hour by the DEA to work as an expert witness and to review patient records. Munzing was paid about $45,000 by the DEA during the period Tennant's prescribing records were under review.

Vallier says Munzing is not qualified to critique Tennant’s medical practice.

“This is almost like having a proctologist be the advisor for the American Dental Association. Just because he’s an MD does not mean he is trained for intractable pain,” she said.

‘I’m Afraid I’m Going to Die’

Tennant denies any wrongdoing, has not been charged with a crime and – after three years of investigation -- the DEA has not publicly produced evidence that any of his patients have overdosed, been harmed by his treatments, or that they are selling their drugs. Tennant’s clinic also remains open.

But the fallout from the DEA raids has frightened many of Tennant’s patients and left some without adequate medication. 53-year old Dale Rice used to get his prescriptions filled at Sunny Hills, but after the pharmacy was raided he was told to go elsewhere. Rice found another pharmacy in Rancho Cucamonga, but the pharmacist there is only willing to fill some of his high dose opioid prescriptions. Rice estimates he’s now only taking about half of his regular dose of opioids.

“I thought the hardest part was dealing with the insurance company, and now I can’t get a prescription filled,” says Rice, who suffers intractable pain from arachnoiditis, scoliosis, arthritis and failed back surgery. Like many of Tennant’s patients, Rice is also a rapid metabolizer of opioids and gets only a fraction of the pain relief other patients get from them.

“You pull the rug out from under me with all these medications and it’s hard on the body. Dr. Tennant told me I could die from adrenal failure, a stroke, a massive heart attack, anything like that,” Rice told PNN. “I’m afraid I’m going to die. I’m afraid I could drop dead right now.

“I predict by the end of the year I’ll be probably bedridden again, unless something changes.”

Another Tennant patient worried about her future is Trini Yeager, a 59-year old California woman who developed arachnoiditis after a failed back surgery and a misplaced epidural steroid injection into her spine. Once very fit and active, Yeager now has trouble walking and spends most of her day in bed.

“What’s going on is absolutely outlandish and just very corrupt in my opinion,” Yeager says. “I’m just shocked beyond belief that they would do this to Dr. Tennant.

“He is being crucified for cleaning up other doctor’s messes. That’s really what’s happening.”

Yeager takes multiple opioid medications at the highest doses available, and even then gets only limited pain relief. Asked what would happen if her dosage was brought within the CDC opioid guidelines, she spoke bluntly and without hesitation.