Akron Doctor Gets 10 Years for Deadly Pill Mill

AKRON, OH – Adolph Harper, Jr., 64, of Akron, will spend the next decade behind bars for turning his medical practice into a lucrative drug-dealing operation, federal authorities announced today. Harper was sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegally prescribing hundreds of thousands of doses of painkillers and other pills with no legitimate medical purpose, even after at least eight patients fatally overdosed on drugs he prescribed.

The sentencing follows Harper’s guilty plea last year to one count of conspiracy to traffic drugs, four counts of health care fraud, and sixteen counts of drug trafficking. He’s also been ordered to pay $417,060 in restitution. But Harper wasn’t working alone. The feds took down a network of enablers, including Adria Harper, 35, of Akron, who received over four years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic drugs and 25 counts of drug trafficking. Patricia Laughman, 52, of Barberton, got more than a year for similar offenses, and Tequilla Berry, 35, of Akron, received five years of probation for her role.

Between 2009 and 2012, the group flooded the streets of Akron with highly addictive medications – Oxycontin, Percocet, Roxicet, Opana, and more – all dispensed from Harper’s medical offices. The operation wasn’t about healing; it was about profit. “Harper may have been a doctor, but he sold drugs like a common street-level dealer,” stated U.S. Attorney Dettelbach. “People who saw him became addicted, and some of them died from overdoses. We will continue to prosecute those who contribute to the heroin and opioid epidemic in our state.”

Court documents paint a chilling picture of Harper’s callous disregard for patient safety. Customers, many already battling addiction, received prescriptions without legitimate examinations, and often without even seeing the doctor. Harper continued to prescribe even after being notified that patients had overdosed – and even continued to supply narcotics to those who had already suffered overdoses. One patient, identified as K.C., was repeatedly hospitalized for overdoses linked to Harper’s prescriptions. Harper was informed of these hospitalizations, but continued to write her prescriptions. K.C. ultimately died from an oxycodone overdose less than a week after receiving another prescription from Harper.

Federal investigators were scathing in their assessment of Harper’s actions. Steven D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland office, stated that Harper “took the trust he received simply for being a physician and used it to take advantage of those who were already suffering.” Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, added that Harper “ignored his primary responsibility of protecting his patient’s health and instead looked to exploit and take advantage of their condition.”

The case highlights the devastating impact of the opioid crisis and the willingness of some medical professionals to prioritize profit over patient well-being. The investigation involved a multi-agency effort from the FBI, U.S. Health and Human Services, DEA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Authorities say they remain committed to dismantling similar operations and holding accountable those who fuel the addiction epidemic plaguing communities across the country. This isn’t just about drugs; it’s about a betrayal of trust and the needless loss of life.