A former physician was sentenced to over seven years in prison for operating a pill mill that illegally distributed over 600,000 oxycodone pills out of a pain management clinic in Woodbridge, Virginia.
Shriharsh Laxman Pole, 65, was found guilty of operating a pill mill that endangered the community.
Pole, who voluntarily surrendered his medical license in 2009 and again in 2013, founded Excel Medical Clinic (EMC) in 2013. EMC operated out of the same office, had the same employees, and the same patients as Pole’s former practice.
Most of EMC’s patients were treated for pain management issues, and Pole enlisted the aid of nurse-practitioner Janelle Hibson, 63, of Fredericksburg, who pleaded guilty to the same charges on September 6.
Hibson pre-signed prescriptions that Pole later filled out and distributed. Patients often received these drugs without undergoing any physical or diagnostic examination to determine whether the drugs were necessary for legitimate medical purposes.
Pole admitted that between EMC’s founding and 2015, he caused the distribution of more than 600,000 pills containing oxycodone.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, stated, ‘Pole’s repeated and callous actions endangered the community.’
The case was announced after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael P. Ben’Ary and David Peters prosecuted the case.
Mandatory facts:
- Defendant: Shriharsh Laxman Pole
- Criminal Charges: Operating a pill mill
- City and State: Woodbridge, Virginia
- Exact Date: Not specified
- Sentence or Outcome: Over seven years in prison
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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