Maryland Physician Admits to Unlawful Prescription Practices

A Potomac-based physician has pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally distributing controlled substances through her Bethesda medical practice, admitting she provided drugs like Xanax, Adderall, and Buprenorphine outside the scope of legitimate medical care. Her conduct, which spanned more than three years, included knowingly issuing prescriptions without proper evaluations and, in some cases, accepting cash payments in exchange for drugs.

Anissa Maroof, 48, operated a clinic in Bethesda and held credentials as a board-certified addiction psychiatrist with a valid DEA registration. Between January 2019 and June 2022, she issued prescriptions for controlled substances to patients, many of whom traveled from West Virginia. These prescriptions included dangerous combinations of medications, given without appropriate warnings or therapeutic oversight. Despite being aware that some patients were selling their prescribed drugs illegally, she continued to write prescriptions for them.

Investigators found that Maroof often prescribed medication without conducting any in-person visits. In some cases, she would instruct patients to leave cash under her office door while she phoned prescriptions into local pharmacies. She also coached patients on how to split prescription fills across multiple pharmacies to avoid detection. These actions were deemed outside the boundaries of standard medical practice and lacking any legitimate therapeutic intent.

Maroof now faces up to 20 years in federal prison, followed by a possible three-year supervised release term. Her sentencing is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang on August 19, 2025. The FBI’s Baltimore Field Office led the investigation, and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Sarma and Elizabeth Wright.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland

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