A former dentist in New Mexico must pay a $320,000 judgment to settle claims that he continued to write prescriptions for patients after his dental license was revoked, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
Dr. William C. Gardner was accused of writing prescriptions for patients between July 2020 and February 2021 despite having his dental license revoked and having an expired state-controlled substances registration. A valid state license is a mandatory prerequisite for prescribing authority in the U.S., and Gardner ceased legally qualifying as a practitioner under federal law, according to a press release dated July 2 from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico.
A DOJ investigation revealed that Gardner allegedly used his unique U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number and his office’s electronic medical records system to issue 94 unauthorized prescriptions, many of which were for schedule II narcotics.
During a DEA site visit at his practice in January 2021, Gardner allegedly misled authorities, claiming his license was “fine” even though three weeks prior, he unsuccessfully petitioned a U.S. court for an emergency temporary restraining order to block the state's revocation, according to the press release.
After evaluating the evidence, the federal court found Gardner responsible for 80 of the unlawful prescriptions and ordered him to pay a civil penalty of $4,000 per violation under the Controlled Substances Act, resulting in a total judgment of $320,000.
In 2023, Gardner made a deal with state prosecutors, resulting in him getting three years of probation for practicing without a license.
