FLORENCE, S.C. – David Carlos Rodriguez Jr., 50, a doctor practicing in Lake City, South Carolina, was sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison for distributing Oxycodone outside the scope of medical practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.
Rodriguez pleaded guilty to the charges after admitting to prescribing Oxycodone to a patient under coercive circumstances between May 2018 and January 2019. The patient was pressured into engaging in sexual activity to obtain prescriptions, and Rodriguez provided 15 prescriptions, totaling over 600 Oxycodone pills.
Rodriguez’s actions were discovered after the patient sought treatment elsewhere for substance abuse. Despite the patient’s change in care, Rodriguez continued prescribing Oxycodone, even after a pharmacist flagged a prescription due to a conflict with Suboxone, a medication the patient was prescribed.
In 2018, the patient recorded two appointments where Rodriguez behaved inappropriately, including physical contact unrelated to medical care.
“This sentence underscores our commitment to prosecuting those who abuse the vulnerable regardless of their profession,” said U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs.
