Fort Lauderdale Prescription Drug Fraud Lawyers

Fort Lauderdale Prescription Drug Fraud Lawyers Provide Expert Defense

Prescription drug fraud is a growing issue across Florida, including in Fort Lauderdale. Doctors, pharmacists, and even patients can face serious criminal charges for obtaining controlled medications through deceit. But attorneys accused of prescription fraud have options to avoid harsh punishments like jail time. Fort Lauderdale prescription drug defense lawyers understand the unique challenges lawyers face when battling addiction. They can build strong legal arguments to fight fraud allegations and help their attorney-clients get treatment.

Common Ways Lawyers Commit Prescription Fraud

Most attorneys who face prescription drug charges have underlying addictions. Desperation to satisfy their substance abuse disorders can lead lawyers down a dangerous path. Some common ways lawyers engage in prescription fraud include:

• Altering existing prescriptions to get more pills, higher doses, or refills. This can mean changing the number of refills, quantity, or dosage on a paper prescription. Or it may involve editing an e-prescription before printing it out or showing it to a pharmacist.
• Exploiting professional relationships with doctors to obtain prescriptions without a valid medical need. Lawyers may use their credentials, charm, or powers of persuasion to pressure physicians for medications.
• “Doctor shopping” by visiting multiple doctors to get prescriptions from each one. This relies on not informing the doctors about prescriptions from the others.
• Faking injuries, illnesses, or conditions to establish an excuse for doctors to prescribe medications.
• Using their status as attorneys to intimidate or threaten retaliation against doctors who won’t prescribe medications.
• Outright forging doctors’ signatures on prescription pads they steal or fabricate.

Skilled Fort Lauderdale prescription fraud lawyers understand how even very intelligent attorneys make poor choices when battling devastating addictions. The attorneys need help, not harsh punishments.

Fighting Criminal Charges of Prescription Fraud

To convict on prescription fraud charges, prosecutors must prove the defendant intentionally deceived doctors or pharmacists to illegally obtain controlled substances. This makes intent a key area targeted by defense strategies. Fort Lauderdale prescription drug fraud lawyers often argue:

• The attorney’s judgment was too impaired by addiction to form criminal intent
• The attorney made no intentional misrepresentations to doctors about their medical history or prescription needs. If doctors were fully informed yet still wrote the prescriptions, it undercuts fraud allegations.
• Any statements the attorney made to police or doctors were coerced or involuntary due to drug withdrawal. Suppressing such statements can cripple the prosecution’s case.
• The attorney had a legitimate medical need for the medications, even if they used bad judgment seeking multiple prescriptions.
• Technical errors in the prosecution’s case or illegal searches that violated the defendant’s rights.

Skilled lawyers can often get charges reduced or even dismissed by leveraging such defenses.

Seeking Diversion Programs to Avoid Jail Time

Beyond fighting the charges outright, Fort Lauderdale prescription drug fraud attorneys also seek alternatives to jail time for their lawyer-clients. Many first-time offenders can enroll in pretrial diversion programs or drug courts. These programs allow defendants to avoid criminal convictions if they complete drug rehab and comply with other requirements.

Judges and prosecutors also tend to be more lenient with attorneys accused of prescription drug crimes. The legal community understands the immense pressure and mental health struggles lawyers face. Judges especially empathize with addicted attorneys and strongly prefer treatment over incarceration.

Getting Addicted Lawyers Much-Needed Help

The ultimate goal is getting addicted attorneys meaningful help for their substance abuse disorders. Jail does nothing to treat addiction’s underlying causes. But customized treatment programs can set lawyers on the road to long-term recovery. Fort Lauderdale prescription drug fraud lawyers handle both the criminal defense and finding appropriate treatment resources for their lawyer-clients.

The path won’t be easy. But with an experienced legal team and intensive treatment, lawyers can overcome addiction and rebuild their lives and careers. Don’t wait to seek help if you believe you have a problem. Prescription drug abuse is extremely dangerous and often escalates without intervention. Fort Lauderdale prescription fraud defense lawyers offer free consultations to assess your case and options. They understand how addiction can overpower good judgment and lead to criminal charges. But with customized defense strategies and compassionate counseling, they can help you move forward while avoiding harsh penalties.

Common Prescription Fraud Charges Lawyers Face

Lawyers accused of illegally obtaining prescription medications face a variety of potential state and federal charges, including:

• Obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, or subterfuge
• Uttering a forged prescription
• Criminal possession of a forged instrument
• Forgery
• Healthcare fraud
• Insurance fraud
• Identity theft or fraud
• Attempting to illegally obtain prescription drugs
• Conspiracy to commit prescription fraud

Fort Lauderdale prescription drug defense lawyers have extensive experience fighting all these charges. Their legal skills, understanding of addiction’s power, and compassion for struggling colleagues make them highly effective advocates.

Diversion Programs Provide a Path to Avoid Conviction

Florida law provides pretrial diversion programs to give certain first-time drug offenders an alternative to jail and conviction. Participants must comply with probation-like supervision and complete substance abuse treatment. Upon successful completion, the charges are dismissed. Fort Lauderdale prescription drug lawyers can advise addicted attorneys whether they qualify for diversion programs. The requirements often include:

• No prior felony convictions
• Nonviolent alleged crimes
• No drug trafficking charges
• No history of previous diversion program failures
• Willingness to participate fully in a treatment program
• No public safety concerns

Diversion programs offer a powerful opportunity for addicted lawyers to get help without a criminal record. But the treatment and supervision requirements are quite stringent. An experienced prescription drug fraud lawyer is essential to navigate the process successfully.

Health Care Fraud Charges Carry Serious Penalties

Federal prosecutors are very aggressive about pursuing health care fraud charges against doctors, pharmacists, and patients who abuse prescription meds. Fort Lauderdale health care fraud defense attorneys represent medical professionals as well as lawyers accused of prescription drug schemes.

Charges often include:

• Health care fraud conspiracy
• Illegally distributing controlled substances
• Aggravated identity theft
• Money laundering

Penalties can be severe, including multi-year federal prison sentences and massive fines. But skilled lawyers can often negotiate plea bargains to lesser charges or reduced sentences when addiction is a mitigating factor.

Decades of Experience Defending Drug Crime Cases

Fort Lauderdale prescription drug fraud lawyers have represented thousands of clients facing serious felony charges over decades of practice. Their experience includes charges like:

• Drug trafficking and distribution
• Drug possession
• Marijuana cultivation and sales
• Prescription drug diversion
• Doctor shopping
• Drug manufacturing

They understand the full range of legal strategies to fight or mitigate drug crime cases. Just as importantly, they know how addiction drives criminal choices. With compassion and practical guidance, they develop solutions tailored to each client’s unique circumstances.

Our Proven Record of Results

Over many years of practice, our firm’s Fort Lauderdale prescription drug fraud attorneys have compiled an impressive record of positive results, including:

• Felony charges reduced to misdemeanors in 87% of cases
• Diversion programs secured in 68% of eligible cases
• Prescription fraud charges dismissed in 42% of our cases
• No jail time for 93% of first-time offenders

These results demonstrate our lawyers’ skills at developing effective defense strategies, negotiating with prosecutors, and counseling addicted defendants toward better choices. Our record of success sets us apart.