Texarkana Physician Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Controlled Substance Distribution
Texarkana, AR – In a shocking turn of events, Dr. Lonnie Parker, a 59-year-old Texarkana physician, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for distributing controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Little Rock District Office (LRDO), Tactical Diversion and Diversion Groups initiated an investigation into Dr. Parker in 2018 after receiving complaints from local law enforcement about a suspected pill mill and possible overdose death of a patient.
Investigators analyzed prescription drug monitoring data attributed to Dr. Parker and revealed that he was prescribing controlled substances, including opiates, benzodiazepines, and promethazine with codeine cough syrup with unusual frequency and in unusually large quantities in the Texarkana area.
In the two-year period analyzed, Dr. Parker prescribed approximately 1.2 million dosage units of opiates, including oxycodone and hydrocodone, to approximately 1,508 patients (approximately 847 dosage units per patient). Dr. Parker also prescribed approximately 16 gallons of Promethazine with Codeine cough syrup to approximately 29 patients during the same time period.
The investigation revealed that Dr. Parker prescribed several combinations of narcotics and sedatives to high diversion-risk patients. U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Little Rock District Office (LRDO), Tactical Diversion and Diversion Group, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Texarkana Police Department, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS) investigated the case.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Anne Gardner and Assistant United States Attorney Graham Jones prosecuted the case for the United States. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation.
Dr. Lonnie Parker was sentenced to 87 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on two counts of Distribution of a Schedule II Controlled Substance Without an Effective Prescription and 12 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release on two counts of Distribution of a Schedule V Controlled Substance Without an Effective Prescription, all to run concurrently. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Texarkana.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.
Key Facts
- State: Arkansas
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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