Forestville Dentist Sentenced For Distributing Drugs
Wrote Prescriptions to Unlawfully Obtain 26,290 Pills Containing Oxycodone and Distributed Cocaine
FEB 21-- Greenbelt, Maryland - Derek Curtis, age 63, of Seabrook, Maryland, was sentenced today to 63 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances including Oxydodone, and for distributing cocaine from his dental office, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to the plea agreement presented to the court on November 6, 2006, Curtis was a dentist licensed to distribute controlled substances in the course of his dental practice at 5812 Marlboro Pike, Forestville, Maryland. However, Curtis wrote prescriptions for schedule II controlled substances, including Oxycodone, commonly referred to as Percocet, which were unrelated to dental treatment and written in the names of individuals who were not receiving dental treatment. Curtis gave the prescriptions to co-conspirators who took the prescriptions to area pharmacies, and returned to Curtis’ office with some of the Schedule II pills. Curtis would frequently write the prescriptions in other names to avoid detection. From January 1997 to October 2004, Curtis wrote prescriptions for more than 26,290 pills containing oxycodone that were not for dental treatment.
In the Spring of 2004, Curtis sold prescriptions for Percocet to a confidential source. During one of the sales, Curtis offered to obtain cocaine. On March 5, 2004, Curtis received $300 from the confidential source, traveled to a barbershop and returned to his dental office where he gave approximately 8 grams of cocaine to the confidential source. Curtis made at least one additional sale to the confidential source. The total amount of cocaine distributed to the confidential source was 16.32 grams.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the investigative work performed by the Drug Enforcement Agency Drug Diversion Unit and the Prince Georges County Police Department. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah A. Johnston, who is prosecuting the case.
