Roanoke, Virginia – Jennifer Adams, the former chief operating officer and practice manager of a network of pain clinics in southwest Virginia, has been sentenced to 36 months in federal prison. The 52-year-old woman from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, played a central role in helping run the clinics under L5 Medical Holdings—doing business as “Pain Care Centers”—despite having no medical background.
These clinics operated in several Virginia towns, including Woodlawn, Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Blacksburg, and Christiansburg. Adams worked closely with John Barnes, a former mortgage broker who also lacked medical training but owned and operated the clinics starting in 2014. Together, they oversaw a system where medical decisions were often influenced by individuals with no clinical expertise.
Adams pleaded guilty in November 2024 to her involvement in concealing illegal opioid prescribing practices and widespread healthcare fraud…