DETROIT (WWJ) - A 47-year-old Dearborn doctor admitted to prescribing over 12,500 dosage units of hydrocodone in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced on Tuesday.
The physician, Tete Oniango, pleaded guilty to prescribing the "powerful" Schedule II controlled substance without medical necessity and agreed to forfeit almost $37,000 cash that was seized by authorities from Oniango's office, Ison said.
“Hydrocodone is extremely addictive and can lead to addiction and eventual heroin use," Ison stressed. "Michigan has seen a devastating number of opioid drug overdoses in the last five years. My office remains committed to pursuing medical providers who abuse their roles as caregivers and inflict harm upon our community.”
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Authorities said Oniango dispensed the drug "outside the course of professional medical practice and without any legitimate medical need for the drugs."
James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Division, joined Ison in the announcement, said doctors who abuse their authority and unnecessarily recommend the use of prescription drugs only contribute to Michigan's growing opioid epidemic.
"The message should be clear," Tarasca said. "The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to focus our efforts on any doctor or healthcare professional who prioritizes profit over patient health and safety.”
“Physicians, and other medical practitioners, who place profits ahead of their patients by prescribing powerful controlled substances outside of medical necessity, unnecessarily risk the safety of those who they are charged to care for,” said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), alongside Tarasca and Ison.
“We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who needlessly prescribe controlled substances at the expense of the well-being of others.”
Oniango is scheduled to be sentenced on August 22, 2022.
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