Las Vegas, NV (Dept. of Justice) - A Las Vegas doctor was sentenced Monday to 27 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and a fine of $75,000 for unlawfully distributing opioid pain medications without a medically legitimate purpose.
According to court documents, 69-year-old Dr. William Alvear unlawfully distributed Hydrocodone without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice. Instead, he prescribed opioids when a patient offered to pay him cash. In addition, Alvear unlawfully distributed and dispensed Alprazolam, common brand name Xanax.
Alprazolam is a Schedule IV controlled substance that also has the potential for abuse and can lead to psychological or physical dependence. Hydrocodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, has a high potential for abuse and can lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.
In November 2023, following a six-day jury trial, Alvear was found guilty of three-counts of distributing a controlled substance – Schedule II and five-counts of distributing or dispensing a controlled substance – Schedule IV.