Incident 39979

A west Tennessee psychiatrist was sentenced to 48 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for unlawfully distributing opioids.

Richard Farmer, 83, of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Parker.  Farmer was found guilty by a jury on Feb. 21, 2020, of three counts of distribution of controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.

The defendant was charged in an April 2019 indictment as part of the first Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force Takedown.   The indictment accused Dr Farmer of providing prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone with benzodiazepines, a dangerous combination, for no medical reason and “often in exchange for sexual favors or companionship.” The indictment claimed he didn’t maintain patient files or did so “woefully” inadequately and often didn’t see or treat his purported patients before prescribing them the drugs. He was accused of prescribing to a pregnant patient starting from before she was pregnant and through pregnancy for no medical reason. The indictment said Farmer did so between January 2017 and November 2018 and charged him with unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances and aiding and abetting.

“The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that physicians who abuse their power to promote and prolong drug addiction for their own benefit are punished accordingly,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

“Opioid misuse and abuse is an insidious epidemic, created in large part by the over-prescribing and diversion of potent opioids,” said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western District of Tennessee.  “This sentence demonstrates our ability and resolve to aggressively prosecute and hold accountable any medical personnel who misuse their positions of trust to exploit the very people coming to them for help.”

“Doctors who prey on those who suffer from the disease of addiction are no better than street corner drug dealers,” said Special Agent in Charge Todd Scott of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Louisville Division.  “DEA remains committed to rooting out and locking up all healthcare practitioners who exploit the weak and put greed above patient care.”

According to the evidence presented at trial, Farmer prescribed opioids to three sisters with whom he had ongoing sexual contact during the time he was prescribing.  The evidence showed that between July 2016 and January 2019, Farmer prescribed over 1,200 pills, even though the three sisters showed clear signs of addiction.  The evidence further showed that he kept almost no patient files on these women.  Farmer also provided opioid prescriptions for the women’s friends, without keeping patient files for them or requiring medical examinations.