Chad Hall, DO, 43, of Las Vegas, NV was acquitted of all 19 charges against him on Nov 9, 2022. Interesting, though, that there is no news of this achievement in the media. There was notice of his indictment in June, 2019 and the mistrial called in August, 2022 from his first trial.  Good for him that he hung on and won! I would hope that this shows to you that the media simply acts as an arm of the government. You can’t trust them anymore than you do the Department of Justice.

The History of the case

Chad Hall, DO was charged along with Ronald Smith, MD, Michael Halprin, APRN, Janell Olson, and Eghomware Igbinovia, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and with distributing buprenorphine, a Schedule III opioid prescribed for opioid addiction. Dr. Hall was also charged with distribution of Valium, obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation and maintaining a drug-involved premises. Dr. Hall is the only one charged to have succeeded in winning. The other four have pleaded guilty and are still awaiting sentencing. Two are hoping for a reduced sentence for their testimony against Dr. Hall. Too bad for them. They’ll be going to prison.

The press release contained the standard propaganda comment by US Attorney Trutanich to sway Jury opinion:

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will target and prosecute doctors who illegally dispenses addictive opioids, thus placing personal greed above the health and safety of his or her patients.”

But prescribing buprenorphine to an addict is what is was designed for and has nothing to do with a doctor’s financial status. But the government loves to pull the “He’s in it for the money” card. The usual government agencies—FBI. DEA, Nevada State Board, United States Attorney’s Office, and local law enforcement would have monetarily gained with a conviction THEY are “in it for the money”. Even to the point that, in 2017, the Department of Justice funded a dedicated opioid prosecutor to the US Attorney’s office for the District of Nevada.

Dr. Hall’s trial began August 24, 2022. But five days into it, the government asked for—and received—a mistrial because one of their expert witnesses would be unavailable due to an emergency medical condition (COVID).

The Media Doesn’t Help

Media reports stated that Dr. Hall’s clinic—Detoxification Solutions—was “fake” and that: “The now-closed clinic purported to treat addicts with a drug called buprenorphine.”

Well, that’s what addiction centers do! Buprenorphine is an opioid that is used for opioid abuse similar to methadone. But Dr. Hall was accused of selling buprenorphine out of the clinic to users who had no medically documented reason to take the drug. This was probably based on the FBI agent who received a controlled substance by posing as an addict. So at least Nevada jurors are smarter than the rest of the country, to see that if the agent “purports to be an addict”, then the doctor is not acting criminally by treating him as an addict and prescribing the appropriate medication.

So congratulations, Dr. Hall. You are one of the few to escape a prison sentence. But please, be aware that as long as the CSA exists, you are a target. I hope you and your family can get back to a normal life.