David Carlos Rodriguez, Jr., a 50-year-old doctor from Florence, South Carolina, has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to distributing Oxycodone outside the scope of medical practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.
Court evidence revealed that over an eight-month period, Rodriguez provided 15 prescriptions for Oxycodone to a patient who felt pressured into sexual activity to obtain the medication. In total, more than 600 Oxycodone pills were distributed during this time. A prescription was once rejected by a pharmacy because the patient was also taking Suboxone, which should not be combined with Oxycodone. When informed of this rejection, Rodriguez requested explicit photos from the patient before sending a new prescription to another pharmacy. He entered his guilty plea in August 2024.
"Medical providers should be a place of safety and healing, not criminal exploitation," stated U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. "This sentence underscores our commitment to prosecuting those who abuse the vulnerable regardless of their profession."
Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, commented on the case: "DEA investigators did remarkable work in uncovering this doctor’s unlawful acts. The DEA will continue to aggressively pursue healthcare providers who distribute outside the scope of medical practice and without a medical purpose."
United States District Judge Joseph Dawson III sentenced Rodriguez to 57 months imprisonment followed by three years of court-ordered supervision. The federal system does not allow parole.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the South Carolina Department of Public Health. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Flynn and Lauren Hummel are handling prosecution duties.
