Texas Doctor Allegedly Involved in Million-Dollar Black Market Opioid Scheme

A doctor in South Texas was recently charged with illegally prescribing oxycodone and other opioids to fake patients who then sold the drugs for a profit on the black market.

The Dirty Doctor in Texas

70-year-old James Robles, a licensed doctor from Weslaco, Texas, was accused of operating a cash-only clinic in Houston where he conspired with others, known as "crew leaders," to illegally prescribe and distribute opioid pills to resell on the black market.

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The way in which Robles allegedly operated was that he would prescribe oxycodone, hydrocodone, and carisoprodol to people who posed as clients. As each of the controlled substances was in high demand on the Houston black market, these "clients" would then resell the drugs for a large profit.

He Made Millions in Just a Few Years

In over four years, it was alleged that Robles was responsible for prescribing about 2.9 million pills of hydrocodone, 1.3 million pills of oxycodone, and 1.1 million pills of carisoprodol. As a result, over $2 million in cash was deposited into bank accounts controlled by Robles.

Following his arrest, Robles' charges include the following:

• One count of conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances
• One count of distributing and dispensing controlled substances
• One count of maintaining a drug involved premises

This investigation is still ongoing, and no formal sentencing has taken place. If convicted, Robles faces up to 20 years in prison on each count.