WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - A former Delaware doctor is facing federal prison time after being convicted of illegally prescribing thousands of powerful prescription painkillers.
Sixty-year-old Charles Esham was convicted Friday on 39 counts involving conspiracy to distribute and distribution of oxycodone.
Prosecutors say Esham faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count when sentenced in April.
The former Wilmington physician was indicted in 2017 on one count of conspiracy and 75 counts of illegally prescribing more than 7,000 oxycodone pills to his coconspirators and others between 2012 and 2016.
Evidence presented by prosecutors during a six-day trial indicated that Esham issued oxycodone prescriptions to five individuals without a legitimate purpose over the course of several years.
Many of the pills were then illegally diverted and sold for profit.
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