MILWAUKEE — Two owners of a Wauwatosa pain management clinic, Lisa and Robert Hofschulz, were sentenced to time in federal prison on Dec. 10 for their involvement in a drug-trafficking conspiracy and "pill mill" operation.
The couple owned Clinical Pain Consultants (CPC) on Mayfair Road, and according to the U.S. Department of Justice, they distributed millions of opioids and other controlled substances throughout 2015 and 2016.
According to officials, Lisa was found guilty of unlawfully distributing oxycodone, methadone, and other opioids outside of their professional medical practice and not for an actually medical purpose. Robert was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and unlawful distribution of controlled substances.
Lisa was also found to be the number one prescriber of oxycodone and methadone in Wisconsin compared to all Medicaid providers, according to trial evidence.
The jury also found that one of Lisa's patients died due to her unlawful distribution of controlled substances, officials say.
Lisa was sentenced to 20 years and Robert was sentenced to three years for their involvement after both were found guilty by a jury.
The evidence also found the Hofschulzs were sending medication to favored patients via mail and prescribing medication to customers they were not seeing in a professional nor medical way.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 10.1 million people aged 12 or older misused opioids in the past year.
“The opioid crisis continues to disrupt lives and cause injuries and overdose deaths throughout Wisconsin,” said Acting United States Attorney Frohling. “For many, the road to opioid addiction began with prescription drugs like the ones that CPC and the Hofschulzes willingly provided in exchange for cash. The Justice Department remains committed to holding accountable individuals who abuse their prescribing privileges to enrich themselves without regard to the damage done to their patients and their communities.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case with the assistance of the Internal Revenue Service, Division of Criminal Investigations
