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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2007

Doctor Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Distributing a Controlled Substance

NOV 7 -- A physician operating in Macomb County pleaded guilty today in federal court in Ann Arbor to charges of distributing pain medications without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the course of professional practice, United States Attorney Stephen J. Murphy announced.

Murphy was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Robert Corso of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Dr. Larry White, 65 of Rochester, Michigan pleaded guilty before United States District Judge John Corbett O ’ Meara. Dr. White admitted to distributing the pain pill Percodan (oxycodone) to a patient, with known drug seeking behavior, without an appropriate inquiry to determine if the patient had a legitimate medical need for the pain medication.

“ The illegal prescribing of controlled substances by medical professionals appears to be increasing in the metro Detroit area. The type of criminal violations committed by Dr. White, a licensed doctor, are taken very seriously by my office because they evidence a total abuse of trust by the physician and because they endanger the safety of their patients, ” said United States Attorney Murphy.

The information presented to the court at the time of the plea showed that between January 2004 and May 2006, Dr. White unlawfully prescribed over 90,000 dosage units including Oxycodone, Vicodin, Xanax and Valium.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Dr. White faces up to 60 months imprisonment and a fine of up to $1 million and must surrender his DEA license and will not be allowed to write prescriptions for controlled substances.

A sentencing hearing was set by Judge O ’ Meara for February 5, 2008 at 1:30 p.m..

The case was investigated by Diversion Investigators of the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan M. Gershel, Chief of the Criminal Division.