Lawrence Sherman, MD, a 75 y/o emergency medicine physician, was arrested June 21, 2021 for conspiracy to distribute opioids and 19 counts of distributing oxycodone outside legitimate medical practice. On November 14, 2023, he was convicted of all counts.

Here is his story:

“I was employed by a pain clinic outside of Detroit, MI, and was approached by the office manager/ medical assistant, who was planning to open her own clinic so that she could provide a low cost clinic to “aid her community.” I told her thank you, but I was working as many hours as I could at the time. That occurred in February, 2020. About six weeks later, she tearfully told me that her NP had quit abruptly, leaving her with an office full of patients, rent and expenses, and no way to recoup. Would I PLEASE help? I agreed to come 1-2 times a month, until I could be replaced. Unfortunately, that did not happen, and as COVID had closed another practice I worked at, I now had more time.
What I did not know was that she and her boyfriend were very clever criminals, who had planned this scam right from the start. They had learned to create fake MAPS, MRI’s, and UDS reports, all in an elaborate scheme to deceive me into prescribing to “legacy” patients they and others recruited to feign ailments and receive opioid medications. The Feds, however were quickly aware, and sent in paid informants of their own!

I guess we were unable to convince the jury in my case that I was not a willing participant in the scheme, although I would NEVER have stayed there for even a minute had I known the scheme. All of the other four employees (including the owner) took plea deals and signed Cooperation Agreements, which meant they chose to testify against me. Even though their lies were exposed on the witness stand, I lost my case.”

Now Dr. Sherman was arrested and indicted before the SCOTUS Ruan/Kahn decision.  But that should have been a major factor in his trial. However, the government doesn’t work that way anymore. The Judicial System is involved in the illegitimate conviction of innocent doctors. The judge did not give the proper instructions to the jury, as she was prejudiced. During his trial, she stated to the prosecutors “He’s just grasping at straws. And that’s all he’s got.”  She also refused to allow notebooks to be produced as evidence of medical examinations.

Janeice Burrell of Macomb Township was the owner of the clinic and operated it with Angelo Smith.  Burrell and Smith accepted only cash and charged patients based on the quantity and type of opioids they received.

Now, if the Feds already knew this clinic was supplying the area with drugs, why did they target the new doctor brought on board, and allow the real perpetrators to get reduced or no sentence in exchange for their testimony against a newly hired physician, naïve to what was going on?

Folks, it’s all about the money.

Going after the doctor allows them to confiscate all of his assets, even those he acquired before 2020 when he started working at this clinic. This must be stopped!

But how is this government overreach treated by the media?  Doctors are told by their lawyers to not speak to anyone about their case. So the media just spouts what the DOJ/DEA says. And the DOJ/DEA spouts lies and whatever will get them a conviction.  BECAUSE THEY CAN!!!

For Example,

“the feds allege Sherman issued 441,000 doses of opioids between March 2020 and June 2021 with a street value of more than $6.6 million.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin” stated:

 “This indictment shows our continued commitment to investigate and charge those who fuel the opioid crisis in this state.” “This case is particularly troubling in that it involves greedy medical professionals who profited from prescribing and dispensing medically unnecessary drugs to individuals without regard to medical necessity.”

Detroit News writer Robert Snell headed his article with

“Macomb doctor fueled opioid crisis in $6.6 million drug conspiracy, feds say”

In the media articles, it was also noted that:

1. The clinic was cash-only and charged patients based on the quantity, type and dosage of prescription opioids.
2. Janeice Burrell, Smith and the employees also allegedly accepted cash for creating phony medical records for patients.
3. Peter Burrell, Jr. was a patient recruiter who brought supposed “patients” to receive unlawful prescriptions from Dr. Sherman. Peter Burrell, Jr. would then fill the prescriptions and sell the prescriptions on the street at a significant profit.
4. According to the indictment, Dr. Sherman issued more than 441,000 dosage units of Schedule II opioid prescriptions during the course of the conspiracy.  These controlled substances had a conservative street value in excess of $6.6 million.

The government blames doctors for the fake government-created opioid crisis because that’s where the money is. As a former US Attorney stated at a pain management training session I attended in 2005, “Because that’s where the money is and the guns aren’t”.

So Dr. Sherman, being innocent of any conspiracy to send prescription drugs to the street, decided to go to trial. He didn’t understand the propaganda created over the last 20 years would convict him and the conspiracy of the Justice Department with the DOJ would ensure his trial would be biased.

On December 15, 2023, Dr. Sherman was convicted of 20 counts of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute prescription opioids and 19 counts of illegal distribution of oxycodone.

And here is why the doctor was the target, and not the owner or patient-recruiting distributor. Controlled and non-controlled “maintenance” medications were billed to health care benefit programs by the pharmacies. Billings to the Medicare and Medicaid programs for medically unnecessary prescription drug medications and maintenance medications during this conspiracy exceeded $500,000. This amount will then be extracted from Dr. Sherman’s assets.

It’s All About the Money!

Dr. Sherman’s sentencing is scheduled for April, 2024.