NORFOLK, Va. — A Virginia Beach dentist used his medical license to fuel a four-year oxycodone conspiracy, writing nearly 800 illicit prescriptions to feed his own addiction and distribute pills through a network of friends, fellow dentists, and impoverished patients. Gary Hartman, 48, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone without a legitimate medical purpose.
“Unethical doctors have no place in our communities,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Hartman used his medical license to push highly addictive pills throughout our community, and deliberately used addicted close friends, other medical professionals, and impoverished patients to obtain these dangerous drugs. Let this prosecution stand as a warning to other medical professionals who choose to engage in similar activity: We will not cease our efforts in bringing these types of pill-pushers to justice.”
From 2014 to 2018, Hartman orchestrated an elaborate scheme involving 766 prescriptions and nearly 40,000 oxycodone pills. His co-conspirators fell into three distinct groups. First, lifelong friends from high school who filled fake prescriptions and returned most of the pills to Hartman for personal use. Second, another licensed dentist with whom Hartman exchanged oxycodone and muscle relaxant prescriptions for mutual drug use. Third, impoverished individuals promised free dental work in exchange for filling prescriptions and handing the pills over to Hartman.
Hartman, a licensed dentist in Virginia since 2002, exploited his professional standing to manipulate the healthcare system. He created the appearance of medical legitimacy while funneling powerful narcotics through vulnerable populations. The scheme collapsed under federal scrutiny, revealing a pattern of deliberate, sustained abuse of his medical authority.
He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, a charge carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for October 2 before Senior U.S. District Judge Henry Coke Morgan, Jr. While federal sentences often fall below the statutory maximum, the court will weigh the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors in determining Hartman’s final punishment.
The case was announced by G. Zachary Terwilliger and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Washington Field Division. Prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William D. Muhr and V. Kathleen Dougherty. Court documents are available in the Eastern District of Virginia’s public docket under Case No. 2:19-cr-48 via PACER or the district court’s website.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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