LR doctor indicted in oxycodone prescription investigation

Dr. Richard Johns
Dr. Richard Johns

A Little Rock physician and 18 others were indicted in a continuing national initiative to target illegal pharmaceutical drug activity, U.S. Attorney Christopher Thyer said Wednesday.

The indictment, returned by a federal jury, charged Dr. Richard Johns, 49, of Little Rock and the other individuals with conspiracy to distribute oxycodone as part of an operation in Lonoke, White and Pulaski counties.

Johns was charged with similar offenses in Lonoke County earlier this year.

The Lonoke County sheriff's office arrested Johns on May 18, charging him with 187 felony counts of fraudulent practices after an investigation determined that fake prescriptions had been filled and distributed since July 2014 in the county.

Investigators, according to a statement, determined that the doctor "would write oxycodone prescriptions in individuals' names, selling them for $500 each" dating as far back as 2011.

Prescriptions totaled about 16,830 oxycodone pills at a street value of $505,000, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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