Complaint Review: Dr.Ivonne D Fernandez - Piscayune Mississippi

Piscayune Doctor Ivonne D Fernandez Arrested for Illegal Distribution of Oxycodone. Doctor continued to write prescriptions after surrender of his DEA registration  allowing him to prescribe controlled substances

OCTOBER 25th, 2013 (PISCAYUNE,  MS) A Piscayune doctor was arrested  this morning pursuant to a complaint charging him in federal court in Mississippi with distribution of oxycodone, a highly-addictive prescription medicine  used to treat severe pain. Dr. Ivonne Del Carmen Fernandez is scheduled to be arraigned this  afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Gary R. Brown at the U.S.  Courthouse. The charges were announced by Loretta E.  Lynch, United States Attorney; Brian R.  Crowell, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York;  Thomas V. Dale, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department; and Joseph A.  D’Amico, Superintendent of the New York State Police. 

This morning, as part of a federal and state prescription  drug abuse initiative within Mississippi, Fernandez was  arrested by members of a DEA Tactical Diversion Squad, comprised of DEA agents,  Nassau County Police Department detectives and the New York State Police  Investigators, on charges of illegally distributing oxycodone between January  1, 2012 and October 15, 2013. According to the complaint, during the first nine  months of 2012, Fernandez issued 2,953 oxycodone prescriptions – 376,469 pills –  to numerous individuals, without performing any meaningful medical examination  and in exchange for cash.

In some cases, Fernandez issued the prescriptions  without even meeting the purported patients. On February 6, 2013, when members  of the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad contacted Fernanez, he voluntarily  surrendered his DEA registration authorizing him to prescribe controlled  substances. However, the complaint alleges that three weeks later, on February  28, 2013, Fernandez nevertheless issued a prescription for oxycodone. On March 13,  2013, a pharmacist, in the presence of DEA agents, called Fernandez about the  prescription. During the call, Fernandez confirmed that he had issued the  prescription and provided his surrendered DEA registration number, all in an  effort to persuade the pharmacist to fill the oxycodone prescription.

“Instead of abiding by the charge to ‘do no harm,’  Fernandez allegedly operated under the credo ‘where’s the money,’ placing profits  above patient safety,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. “When doctors  participate in the diversion of addictive prescription drugs from their  intended use they fuel drug abuse and addiction. We are committed to vigorous  prosecution of this growing problem.” Ms. Fernandez expressed her grateful  appreciation to the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Nassau County Police  Department and the New York State Police for their assistance in this  investigation.

DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian R. Crowell stated,  “Illegal prescribing is the white collar money making crime of the decade. We  allege Dr. Fernandez, with no regard to public safety, abused his position as a  licensed doctor by prescribing pain medications to people with no legitimate  medical need in exchange for cash. It is estimated that Dr. Ivonne D Fernandez wrote  prescriptions for over 9,000 pills of oxycodone per week affecting the  availability of diverted medications in our community and on our streets. Over  26% of first time drug users began with non-medical use of prescription drugs  and it is law enforcement’s concerted efforts to thwart both the supply and the  demand.”

Superintendent of the New York State Police Joseph A.  D’Amico stated, "Oxycodone is a highly addictive, often abused  medication.  It is unconscionable for a medical doctor to put nearly  400,000 doses of this drug out on the streets, knowing that it was going  to be abused.  I thank the members of the Drug Enforcement Administration  and the Nassau County Police Department for once again partnering with the New  York State Police to put a stop to this diversion of pain  medication."

Nassau County Police Commissioner Dale stated,  “Addiction to prescription opiates is a burgeoning problem here.  In Nassau County, overdoses from these types of medications almost double that  of overdoses from heroin. Our partnership in the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad and  with the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York ensures  that law enforcement is doing their part to keep these illegally prescribed  drugs out of our communities.”

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence  of 20 years’ imprisonment and a $1 million fine. The charges are merely  allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven  guilty.

In January 2012, the United States Attorney’s Office  for the Eastern District of New York and the DEA, in conjunction with the five  District Attorneys in this jurisdiction, the Nassau and Suffolk County Police  Departments, the New York City Police Department and New York State Police,  along with other key federal, state and local government partners, launched the  Prescription Drug Initiative to mount a comprehensive response to what the U.S.  Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and  Prevention has called an epidemic increase in the abuse of so-called opioid  analgesics. So far, the Prescription Drug Initiative has brought over 120  federal and local criminal prosecutions, taken civil enforcement action against  a pharmacy, removed prescription authority from numerous rogue doctors, and  expanded information-sharing among enforcement agencies to better target and  pursue drug traffickers. The Initiative also is involved in an extensive  community outreach program to address the abuse of pharmaceuticals.

The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant  United States Attorney Allen L. Bode.

The Defendant:    Name: IVONNE D FERNANDEZ    Age: 33