Nicolas Alfonso Padron, Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute Controlled Substances, Texas 2014

Grimy Times has learned that Nicolas Alfonso Padron, a 55-year-old physician from Garland, Texas, has been sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for running a 'pill mill' in Dallas.

Along with co-conspirator Jose L. Martinez, 54, of Flower Mound, Texas, Dr. Padron opened Padron Wellness Clinic (PWC) in Fall 2010. The clinic operated as a 'pill mill,' where patients could unlawfully obtain controlled substances, such as hydrocodone.

The defendants would recruit patients, often from homeless shelters, and drive them to PWC in groups. The patients would leave with a 30-day prescription of 120 units (pills) of hydrocodone and 30-90 units of alprazolam. Dr. Padron would diagnose the majority of his patients with lower back pain and anxiety without regard to their true condition.

Once Dr. Padron issued the prescriptions, the co-conspirator dealers would drive groups of patients to Urban Independent Pharmacy, located at 6300 Samuell Blvd., in Dallas, to get the prescriptions filled. Convicted co-conspirator and licensed pharmacist, Lisa Hollier, owned and operated that pharmacy.

Dr. Padron also pleaded guilty in September 2013 to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud in a separate case and is currently serving a 57-month federal prison sentence.

The charges against the defendants include: conspiracy to unlawfully distribute a Schedule III controlled substance, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances unlawfully, and conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud.

Other defendants who were convicted for their roles in the conspiracy were also sentenced:

-Josephis Austin, 60, of Dallas was sentenced to 84 months.

-Patricia A. Bryant, 60, of Dallas, was sentenced to 54 months.

-Dennis J. Wade, 36, of Dallas, was sentenced to 21 months.

Defendant Name: Nicolas Alfonso Padron

Exact criminal charges: Conspiracy to unlawfully distribute a Schedule III controlled substance

City and state: Dallas, Texas

Exact date with month/day/year: September 2013

Sentence or outcome: 87 months in federal prison, forfeiture of house, two cars, a boat, and several bank accounts

Dollar amounts: None

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/physician-and-others-sentenced-pill-mill-case