ATLANTA — An Atlanta-area doctor and former NFL player have been indicted for illegal distribution of prescription drugs, including opioids.
Victor Hanson, 86, of Brookhaven, is a licensed physician who operated a weight loss clinic in Sandy Springs, according to court documents.
U.S. Attorney Byung Jin Pak, said he allegedly prescribed large quantities of controlled substances, including oxycodone and other stimulants. Hanson accepted only cash or checks as payment, Pak said.
The indictment alleges that Hanson prescribed these controlled substances "irrespective of any legitimate medical purpose, outside the usual course of professional practice, and in inappropriate amounts and dosage combinations." The documents allege he prescribed these drugs to individuals without conducting thorough medical examinations or, at times, any examinations at all.
Co-defendants Sedrick Hodge, Farrah Hodge, and Marcus McConnell obtained prescriptions for controlled substances from Hanson. Sedrick Hodge, 40, is a former professional football player.
Court documents show Hanson also gave Sedrick Hodge prescriptions written to third parties, including McConnell, when those third parties were not present.
In turn, Sedrick Hodge allegedly sold oxycodone pills on the street for cash. On two separate occasions in October and November 2018, Hodge sold oxycodone pills to a confidential source working with the DEA in Cartersville.
Hodge attended Westminster School and played football for the University of North Carolina, according to the UNC athletics website. He went on to play for the New Orleans Saints from 2001 to 2005 after being drafted in the third round. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins before the 2006 season but was cut before the season began.
“Americans rely on healthcare providers, many of them medical doctors, to use their training to help patients and to ‘do no harm'," Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Murphy with the DEA Atlanta Field Division said. "Dr. Hanson violated the law and betrayed the responsibilities of his profession by prescribing controlled substances, to include opioids, outside the usual course of professional practice.”
"In addition, former professional football player Sedrick Hodge sold illegitimate oxycodone pills from Dr. Hanson on the streets for cash,” he said.
This case is being investigated by the DEA with assistance from the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force, the Jonesboro Police Department, and the Sandy Springs Police Department.
“DEA, its law enforcement partners, and the United States Attorney’s Office are committed to stopping unscrupulous medical professionals like Dr. Hanson from harming patients,” Murphy said.
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