Jury convicts West Virginia doctor of drug distribution

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A federal jury convicted a West Virginia doctor on May 28, 2021, for prescribing a buprenorphine product in violation of the Controlled Substances Act.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sriramloo Kesari, M.D., 78, of Charleston, WV, distributed the drug Suboxone outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose, a press release from the Justice Department said.

Kesari is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 25, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

The Justice Department said Kesari was at times physically located in California, and operated a cash-only operation whereby he would sign prescriptions that his employee would distribute in exchange for cash payments.

Although Suboxone is approved as a drug for treating opioid addiction, Kesari provided no meaningful addiction treatment and instead, prescribed Suboxone to an undercover DEA agent who was demonstrating clear signs that the Suboxone was being diverted or sold on the street, the Justice Department said.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case.