NC doctor fed Florida man’s opioid addiction until it killed him, prosecutor says
A 37-year-old died of an overdose in Florida three years ago. His dealer? A doctor in North Carolina.
Adam Cohen received a prescription for oxycodone from Dr. Okechukwu Dimkpa five days before he died in 2016, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.
Dimkpa — an internist and former urgent care owner in Kannapolis — was sentenced to nearly four years in prison and a $50,000 fine.
“Our office is focused on stemming the tide of opioid abuse by prosecuting opioid dealers, whether they are on the street corner or wearing a white coat in a medical office,” U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin said in a news release.
Dimkpa, 50, pleaded guilty in September to six counts of knowingly distributing oxycodone without a legitimate medical purpose, prosecutors said.
As part of the plea deal, he’s also been barred from prescribing controlled substances.
Cohen died from “Acute Combined Drug Toxicity” on Aug. 28, 2016, court documents show. According to his obituary in the Miami Herald, he was living in Miami at the time.
An autopsy conducted by the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner revealed a combination of oxycodone and alprazolam were the cause.
Investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration subsequently obtained data that showed Dimkpa “was prescribing him oxycodone despite the fact that he was routinely testing positive for heroin and cocaine,” according to court documents.
At the time, Dimkpa was the owner of Care Plus Urgent Care in Kannapolis, roughly 20 miles northeast of Charlotte.
Medical records show Cohen first visited Dimkpa in April 2014, when prosecutors said he was seeking treatment for unspecified pain.
Dimkpa suggested the use of vivitrol or suboxone at a follow-up appointment in June, but Cohen reportedly deferred. Cohen returned three more times in July, according to court documents.
His brother, Jeff Cohen, told investigators that Adam came to him for help that year with a pain pill addiction. They went to Dimkpa’s office together.
“In Jeff’s presence, Adam advised Dr. Dimkpa that he did not have back pain; rather he was addicted to pain pills,” court documents state.
Dimkpa prescribed him suboxone for four months, which prosecutors said was “designed to treat opioid addiction.”
“For reasons unknown, in January of 2015 Dr. Dimkpa again began prescribing oxycodone periodically to Adam until his death on August 28, 2016,” court documents state.
Between June 2015 and December 2015, data shows Dimkpa prescribed oxycodone to Cohen at least six times. Each time, Cohen had tested positive for heroin or cocaine.
Prosecutors said Dimkpa “was prescribing opioids to known ‘drug seekers’ with little or no physical examination and for cash.” He charged $400 for an initial consultation and $300 for subsequent appointments, according to court documents.
The North Carolina Medical Board issued Dimkpa a formal reprimand in January 2018 after an external review of his medical records, dubbing his conduct “unprofessional” and ordering him to complete a continuing medical education course.
He is still a licensed physician, according to the medical board’s website.
Dimkpa is subject to three years of supervised release after serving his 46-month sentence. He will report to prison on Jan. 27, 2020, court records show.
This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 5:39 PM.
