Former Alexandria Doctor Pleads Guilty to Distributing Oxycodone

A former Northern Virginia doctor pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to distribute oxycodone.

Larren Wade, 55, once owned a practice near Seminary Road in the west end of Alexandria. As part of his plea agreement, a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia states that Wade admitted to issuing “thousands of prescriptions for pain medications, sometimes exceeding 2,000 pills per patient each month” between March and July 2010.

“Larren Wade not only violated his oath as a doctor, he violated the law when he provided a highly addictive drug to individuals for no legitimate medical reason,” said U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride in the news release. “The abuse of prescription pills has had a devastating impact on our community, and we will continue to pursue unethical doctors who sell the drugs for their own profit.”

Oxycodone, which is found in OxyContin, Roxicodone, and Percocet, is often issued for pain management issues, but can be addictive.

Some of the prescriptions were issued to patients without “conducting a physical examination, without reviewing prior medical records, and without establishing a treatment plan.” In addition, the release states Wade accepted payments in cash from 30 to 50 patients per day and collected around $10,000 in cash in one day by seeing more than 100 patients.

Court records, according to the release, show that Wade issued numerous prescriptions for oxycodone to two undercover officers for “no legitimate medical purpose” and wrote prescriptions for a non-existent friend of the undercover officers for an $85 office visit fee.

“Larren Wade selfishly exploited his profession by operating a drug distribution business that supplied dangerous prescription pain killers to individuals with no valid medical need,” said Valerie Parlave, assistant director in charge, in the release. “As demonstrated by over 200 convictions and guilty pleas in Operation Cotton Candy, the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force is committed to the pursuit of prescription drug abuse and the FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our community from the dangers of these crimes.”

Wade’s plea was accepted by United States District Judge Claude M. Hilton. His sentencing is scheduled for May 17. Wade faces a maximum penalty of 20 years.