Dr. Lonnie Joseph Parker, Prescription Fraud, Arkansas 2024

Texarkana, AR - A local physician's prescription pad was more like a money machine, as Dr. Lonnie Joseph Parker, 63, was arrested today on federal charges of over-prescribing opiates and other controlled substances.

Dr. Parker, who runs a clinic in Texarkana, is accused of writing prescriptions without a legitimate medical purpose, a crime that can lead to addiction and even death. According to a federal indictment, Dr. Parker prescribed approximately 1.2 million dosage units of opiates, including oxycodone and hydrocodone, to approximately 1,508 patients between 2018 and 2020.

The prescriptions were not only excessive but also often included narcotics and sedatives, putting patients at risk of overdose. In one instance, Dr. Parker prescribed approximately 16 gallons of Promethazine with Codeine cough syrup to around 29 patients during the same time period.

The investigation, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Little Rock District Office, began in 2018 after receiving complaints from local law enforcement about a suspected pill mill and possible overdose death of a patient. Other agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Texarkana Police Department, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS), participated in the probe.

Dr. Parker is charged with nine counts of prescribing without a legitimate medical purpose outside the scope of a professional practice. Special Assistant United States Attorney Anne Gardner is prosecuting the case for the United States.

An Indictment is merely an accusation. An arrest warrant represents a finding of probable cause. A person is presumed innocent unless or until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Dr. Parker's arrest is a significant blow to the medical community in Texarkana, where trust has been shaken by the over-prescribing of opioids. As the investigation unfolds, it's clear that Dr. Parker's actions put patients at risk of addiction and even death.

Dr. Lonnie Joseph Parker, a 63-year-old physician from Texarkana, Arkansas, faces a daunting future after being arrested for over-prescribing opiates and other controlled substances. His crime: nine counts of prescribing without a legitimate medical purpose outside the scope of a professional practice. The investigation began in 2018, and Dr. Parker is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdar/pr/texarkana-physician-arrested-over-prescribing-opiates-and-other-controlled-substances