Robert Timothy Hogan II, Illegal Prescription Pill Trafficking, West Virginia 2014

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - In a shocking turn of events, Ohio doctor Robert Timothy Hogan II has pleaded guilty to two drug-related felonies in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. The 32-year-old Coolville, Ohio native faces up to nine years in prison when he is sentenced on January 12, 2015.

According to court documents, Hogan admitted to traveling between Ohio and Wood County, West Virginia, and using his cell phone to facilitate an arrangement in which he wrote prescriptions for controlled substances to an individual who was not his patient and for which there was no legitimate medical purpose in return for receiving half of the pills when the prescriptions were filled. Between January 2013 and February 2014, Hogan wrote more than 160 illegal prescriptions for more than 17,000 pills.

The case was investigated by the West Virginia State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill and heroin trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

Hogan’s guilty plea marks a significant victory for law enforcement in their ongoing battle against prescription drug abuse. The Southern District of West Virginia has seen a significant rise in overdose deaths and prescription drug abuse in recent years, and Hogan’s case highlights the severity of the problem.

The defendant, Robert Timothy Hogan II, will face sentencing on January 12, 2015. He is currently being held in federal custody pending sentencing. The case is a stark reminder of the dangers of prescription drug abuse and the importance of law enforcement’s efforts to combat it.

The exact criminal charges against Hogan are two counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. The case is a result of an ongoing investigation by the West Virginia State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In related news, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia has announced a new initiative to combat prescription drug abuse in the region. The initiative, which includes increased funding and resources for law enforcement agencies, aims to reduce the number of overdose deaths and prescription drug abuse cases in the region.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/ohio-doctor-pleads-guilty-two-drug-related-felonies