Richard Farmer, Opioid Distribution, Tennessee 2019

A federal jury in Tennessee has found a west Tennessee doctor guilty of unlawfully distributing opioids to patients and non-patients.

Richard Farmer, 83, a licensed psychiatrist from Memphis, Tennessee, was found guilty of three counts of distribution of controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.

The guilty verdict was handed down after an eight-day trial in the Western District of Tennessee, where Farmer was charged in an April 2019 indictment as part of the first Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force Takedown.

The ARPO Strike Force is a joint effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office, law enforcement agencies, and other partners to combat the opioid epidemic in the Appalachian region.

Farmer was found to have prescribed opioids to three sisters with whom he had ongoing sexual contact during the time he was prescribing. The evidence showed that between July 2016 and January 2019, Farmer prescribed over 1,200 pills to the sisters, despite clear signs of addiction.

The investigation, which was conducted by the DEA, Shelby County Sheriff's Office, and Jackson Police Department, found that Farmer kept almost no patient files on the women and wrote opioid prescriptions for their friends and neighbors without any office visits.

Farmer's sentencing is scheduled for May 22 by U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Parker.

The guilty verdict is a credit to the hard work of the ARPO Strike Force and our U.S. Attorney's Office and law enforcement partners, said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski.

This is a significant victory in our efforts to combat the opioid epidemic and bring those responsible to justice, said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant.

Doctors who take advantage of patients suffering from addiction are no different than street corner drug dealers, said Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott.

Farmer's case is part of the ARPO Strike Force's efforts to hold medical personnel accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic. Since its inception in October 2018, the ARPO Strike Force has charged more than 70 defendants who are collectively responsible for distributing over 40 million pills.

This guilty verdict demonstrates our resolve to aggressively prosecute medical personnel who misuse their positions of trust to exploit the very people coming to them for help, said Dunavant.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/west-tennessee-psychiatrist-found-guilty-unlawfully-distributing-opioids