A former dentist from Succasunna, NJ has been sentenced to prison for prescription fraud and soliciting sexual favors from female patients.
Ronald Jupiter has received three years in prison, which he must serve at least 9 months of, for writing fraudulent prescriptions for undercover police officers who came to his office. The painkiller prescriptions did not involve a check-up, but they did involve Jupiter, 62 years old, soliciting the female officers for sexual favors in exchange for the prescriptions.
Jupiter plans to seen entry into New Jersey’s intensive supervision program, which could allow him to go free after three or four months in prison.
According to Morris County prosecutors, Jupiter wrote prescriptions for Percocet, a powerful opioid painkiller, for undercover female officers who came to his office multiple times. He never conducted a medical exam, which is against the law for painkillers. Instead, he committed prescription fraud in exchange for sex.
After arranging trysts with the officers, Jupiter was arrested at a hotel in Roxbury. He pleaded guilty in June to distributing a controlled substance. He blamed the prescription fraud on sex addiction and mental illness, for which he has sought treatment.
Authorities say the investigation began due to the high volume of prescriptions coming out of Jupiter’s office. They said his actions were “more deplorable than a street-level” drug dealer because Jupiter had the medical training to realize he was dispensing highly-addictive narcotics.
Prescription Fraud in South Carolina
The state of South Carolina has some of the toughest illegal drug penalties in the nation, including for prescription fraud. Whether the prescription abuse is due to addiction, normal pain management, or for profit, prescription fraud is a drug crime in South Carolina, and can lead to serious consequences, including imprisonment and the loss of a professional license.
In 2006, the South Carolina General Assembly authorized DHEC’s plan to establish the South Carolina Reporting & Identification Prescription Tracking System (SCRIPTS). The program allows DHEC’s Bureau of Drug Control (BDC) to monitor prescriptions and dispensation of Schedule II, III, and IV drugs, which are some of the strongest and most addiction prescription drugs on the market, and are often the targets of prescription drug fraud. Pharmacists must register with SCRIPTS and give the BDC information including their dispenser information, the prescribing doctor’s DEA number, the date and quantity of drugs dispensed, and approximate number of days supplied. This allows the BDC to figure out if a patient is taking too much of an addictive medication, or gathering too many refills to sell the drugs.
The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Prescription Fraud Charges in South Carolina
If you have been arrested for prescription fraud, you face stiff penalties and a ruined reputation. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm will investigate your case from every angle, determine whether an illegal search took place, and seek to have your prescription fraud charges reduced or even dismissed. Contact the prescription fraud attorneys at the Strom Law Firm, LLC today for a free consultation to discuss the facts of your case. We will investigate your case from every angle, determine whether an illegal search took place and seek to have your charges reduced or even dismissed. 803.252.4800.