Parto Karimi, Distributing Hydrocodone, California 2023

Oakland Doctor’s Descent into Opioid Trafficking Ends in Prison Sentence

Oakland, CA – In a dramatic turn of events, Parto Karimi, a former Bay Area doctor, has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison for distributing powerful opioids outside the scope of her medical practice.

According to sources, Karimi, 59, of Alamo, California, pleaded guilty in July 2023 to one count of distributing hydrocodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, outside the scope of professional practice, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C).

The investigation into Karimi’s activities began after the DEA received concerning information from the family of one of her former patients, who had passed away. The DEA initiated multiple visits by undercover agents to Karimi’s medical practice, including one on October 1, 2021, where an undercover agent asked Karimi for 10mg Norco tablets based on a claim of leg pain resulting from work as a restaurant server.

Karimi admitted in her plea agreement that she wrote the undercover agent a prescription for 60 high-dose Norco pills without conducting a physical examination, without asking follow-up questions about the undercover’s reported pain, without obtaining medical records, and without exploring alternative treatment options or trying a lower dose.

The government argued in its papers that Karimi wrote medical prescriptions for opioids like Norco in exchange for street drugs including cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as cash payments.

On March 15, 2024, the Hon. Jon S. Tigar, United States District Judge, handed down the sentence, ordering Karimi to serve three years of supervised release to begin after her prison term is completed. Judge Tigar also ordered the defendant to forfeit her California medical license and to pay a $4,000 fine.

Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Pastor is prosecuting the case with assistance from Laurie Worthen. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DEA, with assistance from the United States Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and the California Department of Justice Division of Medical Fraud and Elder Abuse.

Parto Karimi’s case marks yet another example of the dangers of prescription opioid abuse and the importance of strict oversight of medical professionals.

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