LAS VEGAS ( KLAS ) — A Las Vegas doctor who prescribed Hydrocodone in exchange for cash payments was sentenced to 27 months in prison and a $75,000 fine on Monday, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Dr. William Alvear, 69, was convicted by a jury in November 2023 on three counts of distributing a controlled substance.
Alvear was indicted in 2020 after an investigation that uncovered the violations during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
U.S. District Judge Cristina D. Silva sentenced Alvear on Monday, specifying he will serve three years of supervised release when the prison sentence ends.
“By prescribing medically unnecessary prescription medications in exchange for cash payments, the defendant put vulnerable patients at risk,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans said.
The FBI investigated the case.
According to court documents, Alvear unlawfully distributed Hydrocodone without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice. Prosecutors said he prescribed opioids when a patient offered to pay him cash. In addition, Alvear unlawfully distributed and dispensed Xanax (Alprazolam).