A former Wichita physician was sentenced Friday to a decade in prison for selling opioid prescriptions for personal gain to customers without a legitimate medical need for the medications, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Steven R. Henson, 63, admitted to writing oxycodone, methadone and alprazolam prescriptions to illegitimate patients between July 2014 and August 2015, according to his February plea agreement in U.S. District Court.
After charging $300 for a visit during non-business hours, he would often prescribe the highest-possible strength medications to customers without conducting examinations or making a serious medical determination, according to the plea agreement.
In 2019, Henson was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of multiple counts related to the distribution of opioids. In 2022, all but two of the counts were dismissed after the Ruan v. United States Supreme Court decision that required proof of wrongdoing for convictions of medical practitioners.
Henson had been set for a February retrial. He chose instead to plead guilty to two counts of conspiracy to dispense, distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, eight counts of dispensing and aiding and abetting with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, five counts of dispensing controlled substances and six counts of money laundering.
He also had been convicted earlier of obstruction of justice and providing false records to investigators.
Wichita doctor who sold pain-med prescriptions for cash sentenced to life in prison
Wichita doctor found guilty of illegally distributing prescription drugs, attorney says