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Doctor tied to 68 overdose deaths found guilty

July, 02 2010

Doctor tied to 68 overdose deaths found guilty

A federal jury Thursday found a Kansas doctor and his wife guilty of conspiring to profit from illegally prescribing painkillers to dozens of patients who later died, in a case highlighting medical treatment of chronic pain sufferers and prescription drug abuse.
Dr. Stephen Schneider and his wife, Linda, are charged in a 34-count indictment with unlawful dispensing of drugs, health care fraud and money laundering. Jurors convicted them of a moneymaking conspiracy prosecutors say was linked to 68 overdose deaths. They were directly charged in 21 of the deaths.
During their eight-week trial, prosecutors told jurors the Schneiders defrauded insurers and patients by carelessly writing prescriptions for potent, addictive painkillers to people with severe pain but also to drug abusers who feigned symptoms.
The Schneiders also were found guilty on five counts of unlawfully writing prescriptions and 11 health care counts.
They also faced 17 money laundering counts. Stephen Schneider was found guilty on two of those counts; Linda Schneider was found guilty of 15 money laundering charges.
The Schneiders were taken into custody. No date has been set for sentencing.
Schneider, 56, operated the Schneider Medical clinic in the Wichita suburb of Haysville. Linda Schneider, 52, is a nurse who worked as the clinic's office manager.

According to AP http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37904290/ns/health-addictions/