Colorado Doctor Illegally Distributed Opioids, Jailed for 4 Years

On October 15, Golden resident Dr. John Van Wu was sentenced to 4 years and 3 months in federal prison for "mail fraud and obstruction of justice charges as well as distributing oxycodone outside the usual course of medical practice".

He was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson. Wu had a jury trial back in April, 2019.

After his jail time, Wu will be on supervised release for 3 years, will be unable to obtain a license to practice medicine in any jurisdiction and must pay $94,829.38 restitution.

The U.S. Attorney's press release detailed how Wu "pleaded guilty, pursuant to a plea agreement, to a charge of distributing oxycodone outside the usual course of medical practice and obstruction."

From January 2011 to March 2015 Wu operated a medical clinic in the western Denver area. There, he would charge employee benefit programs and insurance companies for services that were neither performed nor necessary.

The press release also described how "Testimony at trial also established that the defendant billed approximately 95% of his office visits as the longest, most expensive, and highest-reimbursing type of office visit, despite the fact that his patients had relatively simple and routine ailments that did not need that level of service."

Wu also admitted to shredding files during the investigation.

The investigation was conducted by EBSA and the Drug Enforcement Administration.