S.J. internet pharmacy doc forfeits $2 million in earnings
A South Jersey physician was sentenced to 5 years probation this morning and must forfeit $2 million in earnings for writing prescriptions for thousands of online pharmacy customers without examining them.
A South Jersey physician was sentenced to 5 years probation this morning and must forfeit $2 million in earnings for writing prescriptions for thousands of online pharmacy customers without examining them.
Dr. Ranvir Alawat, of Toms River, worked with internet pharmacies operating in California, Florida, and Louisiana.
Alawat wrote the prescriptions for potentially addictive drugs in 2003 and 2004 based only on internet questionaires.
When Alawat discovered how lucrative the business could be, he launched his own pharmaceutical website, prosecutors said.
Alawat, who was found guilty in February 2007 of three counts of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and a count of money laundering, admitted to U.S. District Judge Robert F. Kelly in Philadelphia that he had made a "horrible mistake."
Alawat also must pay a $6,000 fine.