Dr. Egisto Salerno, 73, of San Diego, is at the center of a federal crackdown on a sprawling ‘pill mill’ operation that allegedly funneled thousands of hydrocodone tablets to fake patients, including the dead and incarcerated. Salerno, who owns a clinic on El Cajon Boulevard, was arrested alongside seven others on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, federal prosecutors announced March 12, 2018.
The defendants—Stephen Toney, 57, of San Diego; April Cervantes, 27; David Apple, 25, of Chula Vista; Amber Horne, 28, of El Cajon; Lonnell Ligon, 55; Shalina Latson, 47; and LaJuan Smith, 38, all of San Diego—are accused of orchestrating a scheme in which homeless and vulnerable individuals were paid to pose as patients. With little or no medical examination, Salerno allegedly prescribed hydrocodone, a powerful Schedule II narcotic sold under brand names like Vicodin and Norco, solely for cash profit.
According to court documents, the fraud ran deep: Salerno prescribed hydrocodone for a patient who died in October 2015—issuing five prescriptions after death, two more than a year later. Other prescriptions were written for individuals confirmed to be in jail, physically incapable of visiting the clinic. These ghost patients were part of a system designed to evade detection while flooding the streets with diverted opioids.
Agents seized medical records during a search warrant execution, including a chart for an undercover operative—complete with forged examination notes in Salerno’s handwriting and signature—detailing a visit that never happened. On that same day, Stephen Toney picked up the hydrocodone from a pharmacy under the undercover agent’s name, prosecutors say.
The operation relied on recruiters like Toney to transport fake patients to the clinic and pharmacies, then pay them a cut for surrendering the pills. Salerno collected a fee per visit, incentivizing volume over medical integrity. Charging documents allege that Salerno and two medical assistants falsified records to backstop the illegal prescriptions, creating a paper trail to mask the conspiracy.
“The opioid crisis is ravaging families in San Diego and Imperial Counties and is part of a national epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman. “We are and will continue to zealously prosecute and bring to justice those doctors, pharmacies, medical providers and others who are furthering this epidemic to line their own pockets.” DEA San Diego Acting Special Agent in Charge Steve Woodland added, “Patients trust their doctors to give them the best care possible. It’s DEA’s responsibility to ensure that DEA registrants are worthy of that trust.”
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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