Union County doctor indicted after being accused of illegally providing controlled substances

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A Waxhaw doctor was indicted Thursday on charges related to providing controlled substances outside of legitimate medical purposes.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that in September 2023, 52-year-old Henry Ronald Emery Jr., MD, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and 10 counts of distribution of a controlled substance outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.

The action came as part of a National Health Care Fraud Enforcement action that resulted in 193 defendants charged totaling more than $2.75 billion in false claims.

“It does not matter if you are a trafficker in a drug cartel or a corporate executive or medical professional employed by a health care company, if you profit from the unlawful distribution of controlled substances, you will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in a statement. “The Justice Department will bring to justice criminals who defraud Americans, steal from taxpayer-funded programs, and put people in danger for the sake of profits.”

According to the charges, from no later than September 2018 through in or about 2022, Emery allegedly conspired with other persons to intentionally and unlawfully prescribe, dispense and distribute, and unlawfully prescribed, dispensed and distributed the medications. They were a mixture containing a detectable amount of buprenorphine, a Schedule III controlled substance.

Buprenorphine is used to treat pain and opioid use disorders, according to the National Institute of Health.

It is also alleged that Emery engaged in the illegal distribution of buprenorphine on multiple occasions. He practices family medicine out of his office in Weddington.

In addition to these offenses, the superseding indictment charged Emery with one count of conspiracy to unlawfully use a registration number.

If convicted, Emery faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine on each count in the indictment.

Emery is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick J. Miller and William Bozin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.

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