Macomb doctor fueled opioid crisis in $6.6 million drug conspiracy, feds say – By Robert Snell (The Detroit News) / June 21 2021
Detroit — Federal agents Monday arrested a Macomb County physician accused of illegally prescribing more than 440,000 prescription pills worth more than $6.6 million that were later sold on the streets of Metro Detroit.
Dr. Lawrence Mark Sherman, 72, of Shelby Township wrote the prescriptions in exchange for cash while fueling the nation’s opioid crisis, according to an indictment charging him and five others who prosecutors say were involved in a lucrative drug conspiracy.
Sherman was released on $10,000 unsecured bond Monday after an initial appearance in federal court in Detroit. He is charged with conspiracy to illegally distribute prescription drugs and 13 counts of distributing opioid pills, charges that could send him to federal prison for at least 10 years. His court-appointed lawyer did not respond to a message seeking comment.
Sherman is the latest medical professional charged in a prolonged crackdown on illegal opioid prescriptions in Metro Detroit. Another physician, Dr. Frank Patino of Woodhaven, is awaiting trial in a separate $120 million scheme that prosecutors say involved more than 2.2 million pills and one of the largest health care fraud schemes in U.S. history.
