Martinsville Doctor Convicted On 467 Counts Of  Narcotics Distribution

Friday, January 3, 2025, 12:15 P.M. ET. 3 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

ABINGDON, VA.- A 42-year-old Martinsville, Virginia, doctor is facing over 9,000 years in federal prison after being convicted last week on nearly five hundred federal counts of illegally prescribing controlled substances and operating a “Pill Mill” out of his Martinsville office, destroying the lives of hundreds of people while enriching himself by preying on the addictions of others.

     On Tuesday, December 31, 2024, Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee reported that last week, following a three-week trial in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, a federal jury found Dr. Joel Smithers, 42, of Martinsville, guilty of Maintaining a Premise to Illegally Distribute Controlled Substances; and 466 counts of Illegally Prescribing Schedule II Controlled Substances. 

     “Patients trust doctors to make decisions based on their healthcare needs, not a perversion of their own greed,” Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee said. “For many years, this defendant betrayed the trust placed in him by his patients, his community, and the medical profession as a whole through his illegal distribution of thousands of medically unnecessary opioids. I am grateful to the entire prosecution team for bringing this case to justice.”

According To The Evidence Presented At Trial

     According to the evidence presented at trial, Smithers opened an office in Martinsville in August 2015 and prescribed controlled substances to every patient in his practice, resulting in over 500,000 Scheduled II controlled substances being distributed. 

     The drugs involved included oxymorphone, oxycodone, hydromorphone, and fentanyl. A majority of those receiving prescriptions from Smithers traveled hundreds of miles one way to obtain the narcotics. Smithers did not accept medical insurance and took in over $700,000 in cash and credit card payments prior to law enforcement executing a search warrant at his office in March 2017.

     Smithers had been previously convicted on the charges in 2019. However, after his conviction, the United States Supreme Court changed the law concerning jury instructions in cases involving the illegal distribution of controlled substances by healthcare providers. Accordingly, a new trial was ordered.

     Smithers has remained in custody since his original conviction in 2019 and was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. He is now scheduled to be sentenced on March 3, 2025, on the new conviction, at which time he faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison on each of the 466 counts and a $1 million fine. For his conviction of maintaining a premises for the illegal distribution of controlled substances, he faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison and a $500,000 fine.

     “Physicians have critical roles in addressing the opioid epidemic and ensuring appropriate care for patients with pain and other illnesses,” mentioned DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Shane Todd. “Healthcare providers have a vital responsibility when it comes to properly prescribing and dispensing medications and must be vigilant to prevent diversion. Today’s conviction demonstrates Smithers’ criminal indifference to the lives of others and to the families who loved them. His reckless and fraudulent practices placed profits over the lives of his patients. We’re working hard with our partners to keep our communities and families safe from such tragic outcomes.”