Linda Sue Cheek, Prescription Drug Distribution, Virginia 2012

Roanoke, Virginia — May 24, 2012

A former medical doctor from Dublin, Va., who was indicted in May 2012 on charges related to her illegal distribution of controlled substances, was convicted late Thursday evening on 172 of the 173 counts she was facing.

Linda Sue Cheek, 63, of Dublin, Va., was charged with 86 counts of distributing scheduled controlled substances without holding a valid certificate of DEA Registration, 81 counts of using a DEA registration number issued to another person, five counts of using a DEA registration number which has been revoked or suspended and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premise.

Following an 8-day trial in the United States District Court in Roanoke, a jury convicted the former doctor on all but one of the counts leveled against her. Evidence at trial determined that Cheek wrote prescriptions for controlled substances on her revoked DEA number and wrote prescriptions on a DEA number that belonged to another person.

"Despite losing her license to prescribe medication, Dr. Cheek repeatedly provided pain medication to vulnerable patients," United States Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy said today. "Her motive was greed, and she collected thousands of dollars over the course of her illegal scheme. The abuse of prescription drugs in Southwest Virginia is a public health crisis, one that is tearing families apart. We will continue to investigate and prosecute health care providers like Linda Cheek who circumvent the rules and illegally dispense these highly addictive substances."

"Dr. Cheek broke the law over and over again by illegally prescribing prescription drugs and exploiting vulnerable patients," said Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. "We will not tolerate criminal behavior as a ‘cost of doing business’ or for purposes of greed. We will continue our fight to protect Virginia’s most vulnerable citizens."

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Virginia State Police and the Office of the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Jennie L.M. Waering and Virginia Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant United States Attorney Vaso T. Doubles are prosecuting the case for the United States.

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