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Utah Doc Issued Opioid Scripts for Cash
A federal judge has barred Dr. Sean Ponce, a Utah physician, from issuing prescriptions for controlled substances during the pendency of a civil enforcement action filed by the government.
The government alleges that Dr. Ponce, a medical doctor licensed in Utah, unlawfully issued controlled substance prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act.
According to the complaint, Dr. Ponce catered to customer requests for opioid and other controlled substance prescriptions, at times using text messages to arrange the exchange of cash for prescriptions.
The complaint alleges that Dr. Ponce used office space in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, to meet with cash-paying customers to maintain the guise of a medical practice despite the routine lack of legitimate examinations, medical findings supporting the prescriptions, or bona-fide doctor-patient relationships.
“The opioid addiction epidemic devastates communities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice will take action against those who harm patients and their families by unlawfully distributing controlled substances behind a veneer of medical legitimacy.”
The government is seeking a permanent injunction and civil penalties against Dr. Ponce. The investigation is being conducted by the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad in the Salt Lake City District Office.
The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Ferre of the District of Utah and Trial Attorneys Yolanda D. McCray Jones and Scott B. Dahlquist of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch.
The claims made in the complaint are merely allegations that the United States must prove if the case proceeds to trial.
Key Facts
- State: Utah
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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