DETROIT – Scott Henry Cooper, a 61-year-old doctor from West Bloomfield, was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for unlawfully prescribing controlled prescription drugs. United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene announced the sentencing, which was carried out by United States District Judge Denise Page Hood in Detroit.
During his tenure at Comprehensive Medical Associates in West Bloomfield, MI, from 2013 to 2018, Cooper prescribed highly abused drugs, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone, alprazolam (Xanax), and dextroamphetamine-amphetamine (Adderall), to some patients. He admitted to the DEA that he considered these patients problematic, rarely saw them, yet continued to prescribe these substances. Since 2020, Cooper has been prohibited from prescribing controlled substances.
Cooper’s guilty plea centered on a patient to whom he prescribed oxycodone and other drugs for almost three years without any direct contact. During the patient’s incarceration, Cooper wrote prescriptions totaling over 7,000 dosage units, collected by a relative of the patient. Even after learning of the patient’s imprisonment, Cooper maintained the same prescription regime.
U.S. Attorney Ison emphasized the potent and addictive nature of oxycodone, highlighting the dire opioid overdose statistics in Michigan. The commitment to prosecute medical professionals who misuse their licenses and endanger the community was reaffirmed.
DEA Special Agent Greene stressed the serious consequences for healthcare professionals who jeopardize patient safety and aggravate the opioid crisis. This sentencing underscores the dedication of law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those contributing to the overdose epidemic.