Wichita Doc Gets 120 Months for Running Pill Mill

A former Kansas physician is headed to the slammer after a jury trial conviction and plea agreement led to a 120-month prison sentence. Steven R. Henson, 63, of Wichita, Kansas, was found guilty of selling opioid prescriptions to customers without legitimate medical need for powerful pain medications.

Henson pleaded guilty to four counts of conspiracy to dispense, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, eight counts of dispensing and aiding and abetting with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, five counts of dispensing controlled substances, and six counts of money laundering.

A jury previously convicted Henson of one count of making a false writing and one count of attempting to obstruct a court order, which were charges in relation to drug offenses. Henson’s scheme involved examining illegitimate pain patients at his clinic in Wichita and writing them prescriptions for oxycodone, methadone, and alprazolam in exchange for cash.

Between July 2014 and August 2015, Henson admits to meeting his co-conspirator customers during non-business hours without staff present and charging $300 for the visit. These co-conspirator customers told Henson which controlled substances they wanted, and he would oblige with a prescription without conducting examinations, obtaining medical history, or determining if the requested medication was needed.

Henson would often prescribe the highest possible strengths and high pill counts. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad, Newton Police Department, Wichita Police Department, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katie Andrusak and Jason Hart prosecuted the case. Henson’s sentence marks a significant blow to the opioid trafficking epidemic that has ravaged communities across the country.

The evidence presented in court showed that Henson’s clinic was a hub for illicit activity, with the former physician presiding over a system where patients were treated like cash cows. The consequences of Henson’s actions will be felt for years to come, as families affected by his pill mill continue to struggle with the aftermath of his crimes.