A medical doctor who practiced in West Virginia was sentenced to prison today for his role in unlawfully distributing opioids.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart of the Southern District of West Virginia and Acting Special Agent in Charge Daniel D. Dodds of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Louisville Division made the announcement.

U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. of the Southern District of West Virginia sentenced Jeffery Addison, M.D., 65, of Charleston, West Virginia, to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Addison pleaded guilty in September 2019 to one count of distribution of oxycodone.

Pursuant to his guilty plea, Addison admitted that in December 2018 he surrendered his DEA license due to his failure to comply with the federal requirements pertaining to his controlled substance prescriptions. After surrendering his license, between January 2018 and March 2019, Addison continued to distribute oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, to patients without a valid DEA license.

The DEA investigated the case. Assistant Chief Kilby Macfadden and Trial Attorney Andrew B. Barras of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for nearly $19 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

The Fraud Section leads the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in October 2018, the ARPO Strike Force, which operates in 10 districts, has charged more than 70 defendants who are collectively responsible for distributing more than 40 million pills.