Joel Smithers Is Prohibited from Prescribing Controlled Substances While Charges Are Pending
Abingdon, VIRGINIA - A Martinsville doctor of osteopathic medicine was arrested and charged by federal authorities with possessing with intent to distribute schedule II controlled substances, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.
Joel A. Smithers, of Greensboro, NC, was arrested today and charged in a federal criminal complaint with illegally possessing with the intent to distribute schedule II substances. At the conclusion of a hearing in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, Smithers was released on a $25,000 bond. As a condition of his release, he is prohibited from prescribing any controlled substances. Smithers, a licensed doctor of osteopathic medicine, has operated The Center for Integrative Health at Smithers Community Healthcare in Martinsville, Virginia since September 2015.
The investigation of the case is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad. Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Lee and Randy Ramseyer are prosecuting the case for the United States.
A criminal complaint is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
