A Texas doctor has been sentenced to seven years behind bars for his role in an opioid distribution network that functioned under the guise of a medical practice. Dr. Leovares Mendez, 59, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and six counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances. His sentencing took place on Monday, as detailed in a news report provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
The clinic, Cumbre Medical Center, owned by Mendez and his coconspirator Dr. Cesar Pena-Rodriguez, who is 56, became known as a "pill mill" for freely prescribing drugs like hydrocodone, alprazolam, and tramadol for cash, without necessary medical examinations. "This defendant wasn’t practicing medicine – he was dealing drugs, plain and simple," stated U.S. Attorney Leighna Simonton, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas. A third man involved, recruiter Jorge Hernandez, 35, directed so-called patients to Cumbre Medical Center, where they could access drugs with little scrutiny for between $200 and $250.
Undercover operations, detailed by audio and visual evidence at trial, depicted the stark absence of medical protocol. Officers posing as patients would leave with prescriptions after mere requests and without exhibiting any signs of pain. Dr. Mendez also made the grave error of coaching these officers on avoiding and deceiving law enforcement. "We will continue to investigate and seek prosecution against medical professionals who break the law and simply put, deal drugs," assured DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez in a statement, as cited by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
The case, which has highlighted the system's vulnerability and the potential for abuse by those sworn to protect health, was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donna Max, Rachael Jones, Marty Basu, and Rene Band Hunter. As the details unraveled, it served as a sobering reminder of the ongoing battle against opioid misuse and the critical importance of integrity within the medical community.
