Joel Smithers Bio

Joel Smithers is a 36 Years old Doctor from Virginia, who found guilty of illegally prescribing opioid medications from his pill mill facility.

Dr. Joel Smithers opened his office in Martinsville, Virginia, in August of 2015. He gave out more than 500,000 doses of opioids over two years.

Dr. Joel Smithers received a federal prison sentence of 40 years. He had faced a minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum of life behind bars.

https://twitter.com/MuseMan82/status/1179852193911820288

Dr. Joel Education

Joel Smithers earned his medical degree from the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine at Lincoln Memorial University in 2012.

Dr. Joel Smithers allegation

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Virginia, Smithers gave out more than 500,000 Schedule II controlled substances in less than two years.

The indictment alleged that Dr. Smithers distributed opioid drugs to people who didn’t need them and in larger quantities than would have been medically necessary.

Investigators wrote that Dr. Smithers handed out the drugs without a legitimate medical purpose and that he was operating “beyond the bounds of medical practice.

He was found guilty in May of 2019 on 859 counts of illegally prescribing Schedule II controlled substances.

Smithers Profit From Patients

in a report of law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at his office in March of 2017, Smithers had pocketed more than $700,000 in cash and credit card payments.

Patients came from hundreds of miles away to get opioids from Smithers. Officials said Smithers distributed opioids to people from Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

During the trial, Smithers stated that he did not advertise his services, but that his practice grew by word of mouth.

Dr. Joel Smithers Medicine License Suspended

Joel Smithers lost his right to practice medicine in May of 2018. That’s when the Virginia Board of Medicine formally suspended his medical license.

The notice of the suspension stated that the decision was made due to a substantial danger to public health or safety.

Court Statment

According to court documents, the judge recommended that Smithers receive mental health treatment and participate in the Residential Drug Treatment Program while in federal prison.

The court document further states that Smithers was fined $86,000. The money was ordered to be paid in full immediately after the court assessed the defendant’s ability to pay.

After he is eventually released from custody, Smithers will then be under supervision for at least three years.