West Virginia Doctor Receives Federal Prison Sentence for Illicit Prescription Practices and Evidence Tampering

A physician practicing in West Virginia has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for illegally distributing controlled substances and for destroying evidence related to his criminal activity, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia. The sentencing follows a trial where David Elwood Hess, 61, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, was found guilty of one count of improper prescribing and one count of destroying records. Hess was found to have issued prescriptions for Adderall to patients without a valid medical justification and outside the scope of professional practice. In an effort to conceal his actions, Hess remotely erased his personal iPhone after investigators had seized it as evidence.

Following his prison term, Hess will be subject to three years of supervised release. The prosecution of this case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Cogar and Eleanor Hurney, with the investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Kleeh presided over the proceedings. This case highlights the federal government’s commitment to prosecuting healthcare professionals who abuse their prescribing authority and obstruct justice.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of West Virginia.

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