George Frey/Reuters
New York doctor Martin Tesher was found guilty Wednesday of illegally prescribing opioids to five of his patients, including one who died as a result, according to a release from the Justice Department. The New York Post reports that authorities claim that the Upper East Side doctor prescribed “2.2 million oxycodone pills to patients without a legitimate medical purpose” between 2012 and 2017 in “exchange for cash.” Drug Enforcement Administration agent James Hunt said Tesher distributed “more than $20 million worth of opioids.” He is also accused of distributing pills to patients he knew were addicted to the drug. The criminal complaint states that Tesher once prescribed 15 oxycodone pills a day to a patient without injury verification, and prescribed a slew of powerful painkillers to someone who told him they were addicted to oxycodone and “needed to be weaned off.” Tesher faces a minimum of 20 years in prison.