A Los Angeles physician described as a prolific provider of prescription drugs was convicted Monday on more than a dozen felony counts, authorities said.
Carlos Estiandan, 68, was convicted on 13 counts of unlawful controlled substance prescription by a Superior Court jury after two days of deliberation, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said.
"The conviction in this case illustrates a serious social problem where unethical, greedy medical practitioners aid and abet the self-inflicted harm of those addicted to prescription drugs," Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley said in a statement.
According to Cooley’s office, the Drug Enforcement Administration labeled Estiandan the "single, most prolific provider of prescription drugs," second only to John Hopkins University in the total number of prescriptions written in 2008.
The charges stemmed from a three-year undercover operation during which a
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy was able to obtain 12 prescriptions
from Estiandan without an examination, according to the district
attorney.
Estiandan faces up to 11 years in state prison.
–Robert J. Lopez