Mississippi Doctor Pleads Guilty to Involvement in Prescription Pill Ring

A Waveland, Miss., doctor accused of running a prescription pill mill has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance outside the scope of a medical practice.

The Sun Herald reports 56-year-old Steve Morris III entered the plea Monday before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, who set a Jan. 8 sentencing.

Morris is facing a maximum prison sentence of up to 5 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. The government also filed a criminal forfeiture to take possession of more than $35,000 in alleged proceeds from the crime as well as two vehicles.

As part of the plea, Morris admitted conspiring with two others at his internal medical clinic, Total Health Solutions, on Jan. 28, to possess and distribute the anti-anxiety drug, alprazolam, outside the scope of his medical practice.

Morris told the judge during his plea, “Yes sir, I am guilty.”

Morris has remained in custody since local and federal authorities raided his internal medical clinic on May 13, arresting Morris and two other health-care workers, Peggy Laporte, 59, and Brittany Spikes, 29.

All three were indicted on charges of conspiracy and aiding and abetting one another to possess, distribute and dispense controlled substances outside the scope of a medical practice as outlined in a 57-count indictment.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Meynardie said the government will dismiss the remaining charges against Morris at his sentencing.

The medications identified in the indictment that Morris allegedly prescribed are the narcotic painkiller, oxycodone; the anti-anxiety generic drug for Xanax; and carisoprodol, a non-narcotic muscle relaxer known by the brand name Soma.

The alleged crimes occurred as early as 2013 and continued through the date of the April 17 indictment.