Verdict: Wichita Doctor Guilty Of Diverting Rx Drugs to the Streets

WICHITA, KAN. - A federal jury today convicted a Wichita doctor of unlawfully distributing prescription drugs, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Dr. Steven R. Henson, 57, Wichita, Kan., who operated Kansas Men’s Clinic at 3636 N. Ridge Road in Wichita, was convicted on the following counts:

• Conspiracy to distribute prescription drugs outside the course of medical practice (Counts 1 and 2).
• Unlawfully distributing oxycodone (Counts 3 through 15).
• Unlawfully distributing oxycodone, methadone and alprazolam (Count 16).
• Unlawfully distributing methadone and alprazolam, the use of which resulted in the death of a victim on July 24, 2015, identified in court records as N.M. (Count 17)
  Presenting false patient records to investigators (Count 19).
• Obstruction of justice (Count 20)
• Money laundering (Counts 26 through 31).

Henson was registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration to dispense prescription controlled substances. His registered addresses included the Wichita Men’s Clinic and a location at 1861 N. Rock Road, Suite 201.

During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Henson:

• Wrote prescriptions in return for cash.
• Post-dated prescriptions.
• Wrote prescriptions without a medical need.
• Wrote prescriptions without a legitimate medical exam.
• Wrote prescriptions for people other than the ones who came to see him.
   

Sentencing will be set for a later date. He faces the following penalties:

Counts 1-16: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $1 million on each count.

Count 17: Not less than 20 years and not more than life and a fine up to $1 million.

Count 19:  A maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.

Count 20: A maximum penalty of one year and a fine up to $100,000.

Counts 26-31: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $500,000 on each count.

McAllister commended the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad, the Newton Police Department, the Wichita Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division investigated, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh for their work on the case.