A New England doctor has been sentenced to eight months in prison for conspiring to illegally distribute buprenorphine, a prescription opioid. Adnan S. Khan, 49, of Manchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to the crime and was sentenced to eight months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Khan was also ordered to forfeit $75,000 and pay a fine of $20,000. He has relinquished his medical license and DEA registrations.
This was the first joint prosecution of a doctor by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont and the United States Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Health Care Fraud Unit’s New England Strike Force. Khan admitted to conspiring with others to illegally distribute opioids through his business, New England Medicine and Counseling Associates (NEMCA). He required patients to pay $250 cash in exchange for opioid prescriptions and diverted funds for his personal use, including purchasing an airplane and multiple properties in New England.
Khan has been charged with conspiring to illegally distribute buprenorphine, a prescription opioid, which is a violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846. The crime was committed in Burlington, Vermont, on November 2024, and Khan was sentenced on April 14, 2025. Khan’s sentence includes eight months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit $75,000 and pay a fine of $20,000. Khan has relinquished his medical license and DEA registrations.
The case was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services—Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Vermont Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit. Trial Attorneys Thomas D. Campbell and Danielle H. Sakowski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney [name] prosecuted the case.
Burlington, Vermont, was the location where Khan operated his business, New England Medicine and Counseling Associates (NEMCA). The business operated a network of clinics in New England, where Khan and others agreed to require cash for purported office visits and falsify medical records to justify his illegal prescribing practices.
During the conspiracy, Khan emailed a co-conspirator a press release from the United States Department of Justice (“USDOJ”), announcing the creation of the New England Strike Force. In response, the co-conspirator stated that it is “clear that ‘making profit off of patients’ is geared towards folks like us. Curious where this will lead.” Khan then emailed NEMCA staff and stated that, “I have been informed that there is a new task force . . . [for the New England states] on the lookout for medical professionals who are prescribing scheduled meds [irresponsibly], etc.” In light of this, Khan warned his staff that, “It is not a matter of if someone from such a task force will visit NEMCA but rather a matter of time.”
Khan also admitted that he and a co-conspirator required patients—many of whom were economically disadvantaged—to pay $250 cash in exchange for opioid prescriptions. Khan then diverted funds that he earned from these patients for his personal use and benefit, including by purchasing an airplane and multiple properties in New England. Khan would also personally deposit the cash that he received from patients, including deposits in excess of $10,000, at his bank. If a patient could not afford the full cash payment, Khan agreed to lower the dosage of that patient’s prescription.
Related Federal Cases
- Adnan S. Khan, Unlawfully Distributing Controlled Substances, Vermont 2023 · New Hampshire
- Adnan S. Khan, Health Care Fraud, Vermont 2024 · New Hampshire
- Talbert Hill, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine and Fentanyl, Vermont 2023 · New Hampshire
- Misti Baker, Medicaid Program Fraud, Vermont 2012 · New Hampshire
- Donna Young, False Statements, Vermont 2016 · New Hampshire
Key Facts
- State: Vermont
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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