Former Wichita doctor convicted again for operating 'pill mill'

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A former Wichita-area doctor who was previously sentenced to life in prison was sentenced Friday after some of the charges against him were overturned by the Supreme Court.

The U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement that Steven Henson, 63, was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to:

• Two counts of conspiracy to distribute, distribute and possess with intent to distribute
• controlled substances,
• Eight counts of distribution and aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute
  controlled substances,
• Five counts of distribution of controlled substances
• Six counts of money laundering

Henson was previously convicted by a jury of one count of forgery and one count of attempting to obstruct a court order, which related to drug offenses, the DOJ said .

Court documents show Henson was initially convicted by a jury in October 2018 of 24 counts. He appealed and the Supreme Court overturned all but two of those counts and sent him back to district court.

In February, court documents show Henson accepted a plea deal on the above charges.

The press release states that Henson admitted to seeing patients with illegitimate pain at his Wichita clinic and writing them prescriptions for oxycodone, methadone and alprazolam in exchange for money between July 2014 and August 2015.

“He typically met with his co-conspirator clients outside of office hours, without staff present, and charged $300 for the visit,” the press release states. “These co-conspirator clients told Henson what controlled substances they wanted, and he obliged them with a prescription without conducting examinations, obtaining a medical history, or determining whether the requested medication was necessary. Henson often prescribed the highest possible dosages and high pill counts.

These prescriptions were sent to a pharmacy then owned and operated by Ebube Otuonye, ​​who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in October 2019 for his role in the scheme.