A Maine doctor has been convicted on several counts of illegally distributing opioids, including the highly addictive and dangerous fentanyl, as well as oxycodone and hydromorphone.
Merideth Norris, 53, of Kennebunk, Maine, runs an addiction treatment center and was found guilty in federal court on Friday of distributing opioids at her practice.
Court documents showed that Norris distributed the drugs without a legitimate medical purpose and while knowing that some of those she solicited the drugs to were struggling with opioid addiction.
Norris is also said to have prescribed the drugs to patients she knew would redistribute them and to those she knew had failed drug tests, court documents shared.
Overall, Norris was convicted on 15 counts of distributing controlled substances. She has yet to be sentenced but could face up to 20 years on each count.
The Portland Press Herald reported the prosecutors accused Norris of putting her patients’ safety at risk by distributing the opioids recklessly. They also said she failed to heed warning signs like failed drug tests and advisories from insurance companies about her prescription habits.
Norris’s defense team claimed that she helped patients reduce their medications and that the charges didn’t take into account the difficulty of treating people who were addicted to opioids, the Herald reported.
A sentencing hearing has not yet been set, according to the DOJ.