Federal Jury Finds Brevard County Doctor Guilty of Illegal Distribution of Oxycodone
(ORLANDO, Fla.) - A federal jury today found John M. Gayden, Jr. (64, West Melbourne) guilty of seven counts of distributing oxycodone outside the course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical reason. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 7, 2018. Gayden was indicted on September 28, 2016.
According to evidence presented at trial, between 2009, and continuing through 2011, Gayden ran a cash-only pain management clinic in Indialantic, Florida. He charged $200-$400 per visit for appointments, during which patients received prescriptions for high dosages of oxycodone, with little to no medical evaluation. Gayden issued these prescriptions bi-monthly or monthly for years, without consulting with the patients about their health, or properly verifying these patients’ needs for long-term high dosage oxycodone. Further, Gayden ignored clear signals from patients that they were seeking oxycodone to support their opioid addictions, as opposed to managing pain. Expert testimony indicated that Gayden prescribed hospice-level oxycodone dosages to young patients with relatively minor health issues.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration Orlando District Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Melbourne Police Department, and the Florida Department of Health. It is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Middle District of Florida at www.flmd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flmd.uscourts.gov.
