U.S Attorney G.F. ‘Pete’ Peterman III announced that Dr. Edd Colbert Jones III, a Fitzgerald physician, has plead guilty to conspiring to distribute and dispense controlled substances including Oxycodone, Alprazolam, and Diazepam. Dr. Jones was indicted on April 12, 2016.
According to the indictment, Dr. Jones operated a general practice in Fitzgerald, Georgia, where he devised a scheme with co-conspirator Shannon Benedict to receive prescriptions in her name and the names of others. The pills were then sold by Ms. Benedict in the Fitzgerald area.
Dr. Jones never conducted any medical examination of Ms. Benedict or anyone else in whose name he wrote prescriptions at her direction. The prescriptions were provided by him unlawfully and outside the scope of his professional practice.
The charges arose from the execution of a search warrant on April 22, 2015, at Ms. Benedict’s Ben Hill County residence. Inside the residence, agents located four prescriptions written by Dr. Jones to persons other than Ms. Benedict – two for Oxycodone and two for Xanax. A second search warrant executed at Dr. Jones’ Ben Hill County office produced no medical files associated with the prescriptions found at Ms. Benedict’s residence.
Dr. Jones admitted that he should be held accountable for between 2,500 and 5,000 units of Schedule III narcotics. He agreed to forfeit his medical license upon entering his plea of guilty.
Sentencing in the case will be set in about sixty days following a pre-sentence investigation. Dr. Jones faces a potential maximum penalty of twenty years imprisonment, a $1 million fine, or both. Dr. Jones was taken into custody at the end of the hearing.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ben Hill County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Leah E. McEwen is prosecuting the case for the government.
United States Attorney Peterman stated, ‘The actions of Dr. Jones in distributing these highly dangerous and extremely addictive drugs violated not only the law but also his oath as a physician by bringing harm instead of healing and suffering instead of relief to those in his community. It is truly a shame to see the privilege of practicing medicine perverted in such a way.’
Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Daniel R. Salter added, ‘It is a sad commentary when a trusted person in the medical community attempts to hide behind the veil of legitimacy to commit criminal acts. The reckless distribution of pharmaceuticals results in addiction and death. Many thanks to the hard-working law enforcement partners who worked this case.’
Related Federal Cases
- Oxycodone Ring Busted: Four Face Federal Fraud Charges · Georgia
- Woods and Gilchrist Face Federal Charges in Georgia Drug Ring · Georgia
- Sparks Crack Ring Busted: 11 Face Decades in Federal Prison · Georgia
- Southwest Georgia Drug Ring Busted: 7 Face Federal Charges · Georgia
- Fitzgerald Drug Dealer Sentenced for High-Speed Chase in Stolen Cop Car · Georgia
Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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