Denver dentist David Hoag pleaded guilty Monday to a single felony charge that he conspired to obtain powerful painkillers for himself and four of his friends by writing fraudulent prescriptions.
Hoag, 49, entered his plea in U.S. District Court in Denver and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Marcia Krieger on Feb. 16.
In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors moved to dismiss the rest of his 416-count indictment related to each fraudulent prescription he wrote.
Prosecutor Jaime Peña agreed to support a sentence of five years’ probation that includes drug treatment.
However, Krieger told Hoag that the charge to which he pleaded guilty carries a maximum 4-year prison term and a $250,000 fine.
“There is no guarantee you will get a sentence of probation,” Krieger said.
In February 2007, agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration received information that Hoag was writing an unusual number of prescriptions for certain patients.
Every two days, a new prescription was written for patient James Poe for painkillers — mostly hydrocodone — and filled at different pharmacies.
Poe, who also was indicted with Hoag, eventually told investigators that he would get a prescription from Hoag, then split the pills with the dentist.
Poe also has pleaded guilty in the case and so has another co-defendant, Paul Nickless, who engaged in a similar pill-sharing scheme.
When drug-diversion agents questioned Hoag about the prescriptions, he admitted that he had a drug problem, mostly with the painkillers hydrocodone and lorazepam.
The agents showed Hoag records of the prescriptions he wrote and asked whether he thought they were unusual.
“Any dentist would be suspicious and ask a lot of questions,” Hoag told the agents.
In November 2008, Hoag reached an agreement with the state Board of Dental Examiners not to practice dentistry while he completes a five-year probationary period, which includes treatment for drug and alcohol abuse.
Felisa Cardona: 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com
