Former dentist William Dalton Thomas of Hillsboro, Ohio-based New Market Family Dentistry, received a five-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to two drug-related counts, according to court records cited by The Highland County Press.
Mr. Thomas, who surrendered his dental license, and his former dental assistant Amanda Mathews were each charged federally in September 2020 with seven counts of unlawful distribution and dispensing of controlled substances and one count of conspiracy to commit unlawful distribution and dispensing of controlled substances. The two were among one of the largest healthcare opioid and fraud cases in Justice Department history, including more than 100 medical professionals charged in schemes that defrauded federal healthcare programs and private insurers of more than $6 billion.
Mr. Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful distribution and dispensing of controlled substances and one count of conspiracy to commit unlawful distribution and dispensing of controlled substances. On Feb. 10, he was sentenced to five years imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Mr. Thomas was responsible for the illegal distribution of thousands of pills, according to a sentencing memorandum cited by The Highland County Press.
"The defendant was a dentist trusted by the rural Hillsboro, Ohio, community for decades to treat, heal and protect its residents," according to the memo. "The defendant betrayed that trust by issuing and authorizing hundreds of prescriptions for controlled substances which were outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. The defendant’s conduct led to at least 6,700 controlled substance pills illegally distributed, including over 5,900 opioid pills."
According to the sentencing memorandum, the government requested Mr. Thomas "be barred from work in a medical or dental setting during the course of his supervision" and "prohibited from applying for a dental license or DEA registration of any type during his term of supervision or thereafter."
A separate memorandum from Timothy McKenna, Mr. Thomas' attorney, said Mr. Thomas "is surrendering both his Drug Enforcement Administration Certificate and license to practice as a dentist. These sanctions effectively end his career as a doctor of dentistry."
Mr.Thomas' co-defendant, Ms. Mathews, was sentenced to probation in November after she pleaded guilty to the same two charges.