Convicted: Bowdoin Smith, a 67-year-old medical doctor from Carthage, Tennessee, was found guilty of unlawfully distributing controlled substances, including opioids like oxycodone and morphine. The verdict was delivered by a federal jury in the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Smith, a doctor of osteopathy, owned and operated a general practice medical clinic in Carthage. He knowingly prescribed opioids outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. In 2012, the Tennessee Department of Health placed Smith’s medical license on probation for three years because he routinely prescribed greater amounts of controlled substances than were medically necessary for his patients.
After the probation was lifted, Smith continued to write unlawful prescriptions between 2016 and 2019. He regularly ignored the signs of drug abuse and addiction in his patients.
The jury convicted Smith of three counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee, Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Tamala Miles of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) made the announcement.
The DEA, HHS-OIG, and TBI investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Leslie Williams Fisher and Kelly Lyons of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force led the investigation. Since its inception in late 2018, ARPO has charged over 115 defendants collectively responsible for issuing prescriptions for over 115 million controlled substance pills. To date, more than 84 ARPO defendants have been convicted.
Related Federal Cases
- United States v. Collins, Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Tennessee 2023 · Tennessee
- Robert L. Rose, Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy, Tennessee … · North Carolina
- James Silas, Heroin Distribution, Tennessee 2016 · New York
- Edward Allen, Murder, Tennessee 2023 · Tennessee
- Jadakiss Johnson, Gunpoint Robbery, Tennessee 2024 · Tennessee
Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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