U.S. Attorney Robert G. McCampbell announced today that Dr. Ricky Joe Nelson had been convicted by a jury in federal court in Oklahoma City. Dr. Nelson was convicted of conspiracy to distribute controlled drugs through giving prescriptions over the internet to patients Dr. Nelson had never examined. Dr. Nelson was also convicted of conspiracy to launder the proceeds of the scheme through a wire transfer of $175,000 to a Bahamas corporation with a bank account in Antigua, West Indies. Following the jury’s verdict, Dr. Nelson’s bond was revoked and he was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshall. Dr. Nelson will be set for a sentencing hearing after a pre-sentence report is completed.
The practice of internet prescribing of dangerous drugs poses an immediate threat to public health and safety because the physician has conducted no physical examination of the patient, McCampbell said. The case was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Robert G. McCampbell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Sengel and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service.
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