Former Wichita doctor sentenced to 10 years in prison for opioid prescription scheme

A former Wichita doctor was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for selling opioid prescriptions for personal use to customers without a legitimate medical need for the drugs, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.

Steven R. Henson, 63, admitted to writing prescriptions for oxycodone, methadone and alprazolam to illegitimate patients between July 2014 and August 2015, according to his February plea agreement in U.S. District Court. United.

After charging $300 for an after-hours visit, he often prescribed clients the strongest medications possible without performing tests or making a serious medical decision, according to the plea agreement.

In 2019, Henson was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of multiple counts related to the distribution of opioids. As of 2022, all but two counts have been dismissed after the Ruan v. United States Supreme Court that required proof of wrongdoing for conviction of doctors.

Henson was scheduled to be retried in February. He instead chose to plead 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 to possess with intent of distributing controlled substances, five counts of distribution of controlled substances and six counts of distribution. money laundering.

He was also convicted earlier of obstructing justice and providing false records to investigators.

Wichita doctor who sold pain medication for cash sentenced to life in prison

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