Indian-American doctor pleads guilty to illegally prescribing opioids
Darpan News Desk IANS, 16 May, 2023 11:20 AM
New York, May 16 (IANS) A 76-year-old Indian-origin physician has admitted that he illegally prescribed opioids to patients outside the usual course of his professional practice in the US.
Sawtantra Chopra, of Modesto in California, pleaded guilty to three counts of illegally prescribing opioids and other medication, US Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced last week.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 5 by US District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston.
According to court documents, Chopra, who was arrested in 2018, prescribed drugs -- including hydrocodone, alprazolam (Xanax), and Promethazine with codeine syrup -- not for a legitimate medical purpose.
These drugs are highly addictive and commonly abused.
They affect the central nervous system and may only be prescribed when medically required.
Chopra was arrested in 2018 and surrendered his medical license in 2020.
He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Sixteen people, including several men and women of Indian descent, have been convicted after a major investigation into a West London-based organised crime group involved in international money laundering and human smuggling, UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) said. Members of the network smuggled in excess of GBP 42 million in cash out of the UK, making hundreds of trips to Dubai and the UAE between 2017 and 2019.
Khan's arrest came a day after the military warned him against making "baseless allegations" after he again accused a senior army officer of plotting to kill him, The Express Tribune reported.
Rajesh Motibhai Patel, 68, was indicted last week on multiple counts of violating his patients' constitutional right to bodily integrity while acting under colour of law and for engaging in unwanted sexual contact, a Department of Justice release said.
Although WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted Friday's declaration "does not mean COVID-19 is over," many people will likely interpret it that way, said Dr. Allison McGeer, infectious diseases specialist and microbiologist at Sinai Health Systems in Toronto.
Amandeep Singh, 34, was driving his 2019 Dodge Ram south in the northbound lanes on North Broadway in Jericho on Wednesday when he smashed into a 2019 Alfa Romeo four-door sedan with four male teens inside. While two teens -- identified as Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz -- were pronounced dead at the scene, the other two, aged 16 and 17, were taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries.
Jobanpreet Singh, 21, was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on two counts of murder in the first degree on Thursday, the Portland Police Bureau said. Portland police are yet to publicly identify the two men who died.
