Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Henderson doctor pleads not guilty to drug distribution charges

A Henderson doctor pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges he unlawfully distributed painkillers by selling large quantities to people who had no medical need for them.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 46-year-old Mahesh Reddy Kuthuru was arraigned in connection with nine counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances.

Kuthuru allegedly sold prescriptions for oxycodone, morphine sulfate and other drugs without considering whether they were medically necessary for those who purchased them.

He faces not more than 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million if convicted, the release said. Kuthuru was released on a personal recognizance bond pending trial, the release said.

Kuthuru, whose specialty was pain management and physical medicine, operated Desert Pain Management in Las Vegas and the state of New York.

His license to practice medicine in Nevada was suspended indefinitely in March by the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners, according to the board’s website. He also surrendered his license in New York, according to the New York health department’s license search.

“The number of overdose deaths combined with the costs to the workplace and health care and criminal justice systems, is cause for great alarm,” U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden said in the statement. “We will continue to prosecute doctors who are contributing to this enormous problem.”

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