A former north Texas doctor gets 20 years in prison for his roll in an $18 million pill mill scheme.
It was called "Operation Wasted Daze" and it netted 46 people, including several medical professionals as part of the scheme.
The lead operator was 61-year-old oncologist Caesar Capistrano, who prosecutors say issued illegal prescriptions for several powerful drugs over a 9 year period.
“Doctors who run pill mills knowingly profit off of vulnerable people’s addictions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah. “The Justice Department is determined to prosecute doctors who funnel powerful prescription drugs onto our streets. We will do everything within our power to curb the opioid epidemic.”
They say Capristrano recruited and paid others to distribute the drugs at several pharmacies run by other doctors. Often, the doctors prescribed multiple medications simultaneously and at the highest dosages available.
“Using one’s trusted status as a medical professional for unlawful acts cannot go unpunished,” stated Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Dallas Field Division. “The Dallas DEA will always seek justice against those who take advantage of individuals, especially ones who suffer from addiction.”
Related
