Florence County doctor facing 20 years in prison over ‘sex for scripts’ scheme

FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) — A Lake City doctor on Monday pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to distributing Oxycodone outside the scope of his medical practice as part of what prosecutors described as a yearslong “sex for scripts” scheme.

Carlos David Rodriguez Jr., 50, prescribed the drug 15 times to a patient between May 2018 and January 2019. The individual first began seeing Rodriguez in 2013 and 2014 before resuming her visits for treatment of back pain.

“When the patient first returned … Rodriguez did not ask the patient about her current medical history, did not ask her for a pain rating and did not ask her what controlled substances she might be taking despite clear indicators she was using illicit drugs,” a Department of Justice news release said. “Rodriguez also touched the patient at the first appointment in (a) manner not consistent with any medical examination.”

Over the following months, Rodriguez provided the patient with his Snapchat and began sending nude pictures, according to prosecutors.

“The patient believed this to be a ‘sex for scripts’ trade, where if she engaged in sexual behavior, Rodriguez would write her prescriptions for Oxycodone,” the news release said.

Officials said the patient began substance abuse treatment in the summer of 2018 and was placed on a medication that wasn’t to be taken with Oxycodone. Rodriguez sent her prescription for the drug to another pharmacy after a provider noted the conflict.

The patient twice filmed encounters with Rodriguez during the fall of 2018 that show him entering the room and begin “hugging, kissing and fondling the patient.” In one instance, the patient performed a sex act on Rodriguez, who then wrote another Oxycodone prescription.

U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Dawson III accepted Rodriguez’s guilty plea. A sentencing date wasn’t immediately known, but he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervision following his imprisonment.

Rodriguez also surrendered both his state and federal prescribing privileges.

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