CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A doctor who practiced in Varney, Huntington and Chapmanville pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to conspiring to allow other people use his registration number to distribute diet pills, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.
Brian J. McDevitt also admitted that he used $33,000 in proceeds from the illegal distribution of the pills to buy a Lexus in July 2008, according to the news release.
Between 2005 and 2009, McDevitt obtained roughly 1.5 million Phentermine pills, many of which were illegally dispensed by his employees, according to a stipulation of facts entered as part of his guilty plea.
"On at least 812 occasions, Phentermine tablets were dispensed by the three employees at the Varney clinic using [McDevitt's] DEA registration number without proper authority and outside the normal course of medical practice," the stipulation states. "On each occasion, the 'diet patient' paid $80 for the 'office visit' and the pills."
McDevitt made almost $65,000 from the illegal pill sales, the stipulation states. As part of his plea deal, he agreed to forfeit $64,960, plus an additional $60,200, which represents the value of the Lexus and the real estate where the Varney Clinic was located in Mingo County.
McDevitt faces up to 14 years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston on May 12.
In a separate case, a Princeton woman was sentenced to more than three years in prison Thursday for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Leslie Hall, 29, pleaded guilty to the charge in July 2009, the release states. U.S. District Judge Irene C. Berger sentenced Hall to 37 months in prison.
Also on Thursday, a Mexican man pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the United States after he had been deported.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A doctor who practiced in Varney, Huntington and Chapmanville pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to conspiring to allow other people use his registration number to distribute diet pills, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.
Brian J. McDevitt also admitted that he used $33,000 in proceeds from the illegal distribution of the pills to buy a Lexus in July 2008, according to the news release.
Between 2005 and 2009, McDevitt obtained roughly 1.5 million Phentermine pills, many of which were illegally dispensed by his employees, according to a stipulation of facts entered as part of his guilty plea.
"On at least 812 occasions, Phentermine tablets were dispensed by the three employees at the Varney clinic using [McDevitt's] DEA registration number without proper authority and outside the normal course of medical practice," the stipulation states. "On each occasion, the 'diet patient' paid $80 for the 'office visit' and the pills."
McDevitt made almost $65,000 from the illegal pill sales, the stipulation states. As part of his plea deal, he agreed to forfeit $64,960, plus an additional $60,200, which represents the value of the Lexus and the real estate where the Varney Clinic was located in Mingo County.
McDevitt faces up to 14 years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston on May 12.
In a separate case, a Princeton woman was sentenced to more than three years in prison Thursday for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Leslie Hall, 29, pleaded guilty to the charge in July 2009, the release states. U.S. District Judge Irene C. Berger sentenced Hall to 37 months in prison.
Also on Thursday, a Mexican man pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the United States after he had been deported.
Edilberto Sanchez-Galvan, 32, faces up to two years in prison when sentenced by Johnston on Feb. 22.
In other federal court news, a federal grand jury returned indictments Wednesday against seven people.
| Thomas Shrader, 55, of Duhring, faces charges of interstate stalking and being a felon in possession of a gun. If convicted, Shrader faces up to 15 years in prison.
| Victoria L. Jarvis, 47, of Bob White, faces counterfeit securities and identity theft charges for allegedly defrauding the Special Olympics in Charleston. If convicted, Jarvis faces up to life in prison.
| Tina K. Holsapple, 39, of Culloden, faces counterfeit securities and identity theft charges for allegedly defrauding the Valu-Rite pharmacy in Poca. If convicted, Holsapple faces up to life in prison.
| Nicholas Divita, 30, of Huntington, is accused of possessing cocaine with an intent to distribute. If convicted, Divita faces up to 20 years in prison.
| Clifton Eugene "Roy" Starcher, 30 of Charleston, faces charges of distributing five grams or more of crack cocaine. If convicted, Starcher faces between five and 40 years in prison.
| Carveen B. Torbert, a.k.a. Michael Gray, 42, of South Charleston, is accused of possessing heroin with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school and being a felon in possession of a gun. If convicted, Torbert faces between one and 40 years in prison.
| Damon L. Luster, 38, of Oak Hill, is charged with being a felon in possession of a gun and ammunition. If convicted, Luster faces up to 10 years in prison.
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