A 72-year-old Weston doctor has been sentenced to a decade behind bars following his conviction on charges of unlawfully dispensing a vast quantity of controlled substances. Dr. Osmin Morales, as noted in a statement by United States Attorney's Office, received a 10-year federal prison sentence on April 25, for his role in operating a pill mill type clinic.
The conviction encompasses a count of conspiracy to unlawfully dispense and distribute controlled substances and six counts of the same act, carried out unlawfully. The prosecution demonstrated that Morales, deviating from standard medical practice, prescribed oxycodone, morphine, and alprazolam—often without any legitimate medical basis or even performing an exam. In some egregious instances, Morales wasn't even present at his clinic, having pre-written prescriptions handed out by office staff in exchange for cash. According to testimony, one mother pleaded with Morales to cease prescribing narcotics to her daughter, recognizing the signs of her daughter's looming dysfunction—but Morales persisted.
Further revealing the depths of Morales’ scheme, medical records suggested examinations and diagnoses that never occurred, with trips abroad confirmed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection contradicting these supposed patient contacts. A DEA agent cited that during the indictment timeline, Morales prescribed massive quantities of opioids to over a thousand patients, with a third of these patients having criminal records related to drug dealing.
A pain medicine expert, after a thorough review of patient records, found no proper medical justification for Morales to prescribe such powerful medications. The expert also highlighted the combined prescription of opioids and benzodiazepines—a dangerous cocktail that significantly increases the risk of overdose and death. Compounding the evidence, a former staff member disclosed that she collected around $4,000 in daily cash payments from patients receiving these prescriptions, often during the absence of Morales from the clinic.
