46 Months in prison and $50,000 fine
GREENSBORO, N.C. – A Salisbury medical doctor who unlawfully
prescribed oxycodone was sentenced to prison, announced Matthew G.T. Martin,
United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina.
DR. OKECHUKWU DIMKPA, age 50, of Salisbury, North Carolina,
was sentenced to a total of 46 months’ imprisonment by United States District
Judge Catherine C. Eagles on December 16, 2019. DIMKPA was also ordered to
serve 3 years of supervised release following his imprisonment, and to pay a
$50,000 fine. DR. DIMKPA pleaded guilty on September 11, 2019, to six counts of
knowingly causing to be distributed oxycodone, a schedule II controlled
substance, while acting outside the course of professional practice and without
a legitimate medical purpose.
Court records show DR. DIMKPA, an Internist and former owner
and operator of Care Plus Urgent Care in Kannapolis, was over-prescribing prescription
pain medication, specifically, oxycodone. In 2016, investigators learned that
DR. DIMKPA was prescribing opioids to known “drug seekers” with little or no
physical examination and for cash. One person who was prescribed oxycodone by
DR. DIMPKA died in 2016 from Acute Combined Drug Toxicity.
As part of the plea agreement, DR. DIMKPA was required to
surrender his DEA Registration numbers, effectively barring him from
prescribing controlled substances.
“Our office is focused on stemming the tide of opioid abuse
by prosecuting opioid dealers, whether they are on the street corner or wearing
a white coat in a medical office. This investigation demonstrates the
exceptional coordination between federal, state, and local authorities to
address the over-prescription of opioids,” stated United States Attorney
Matthew G.T. Martin.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency,
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Health and Human Services, the
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Cabarrus County Sheriff's
Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael A.
DeFranco. This case was brought by the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit of
the Middle District of North Carolina, which is focused on identifying and
prosecuting medical professionals who are contributing to the opioid epidemic.
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