Louisiana internist gets 15 years in prison for dealing opioids

A Louisiana internist was sentenced to 15 years in prison for being convicted of dealing opioids, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Randy J. Lamartiniere, MD, 64, of Alexandria, Louisiana, was sentenced peddled drugs for cash, writing unnecessary prescriptions for Adderall, fentanyl, hydrocodone, methadone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Middle District of Louisiana.

Lamartiniere charged $100 to $300 per visit for patients with no health insurance to collect prescriptions for opioids “that he knew were not for a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of a legitimate medical practice.” Lamartiniere was convicted in December 2022 at a jury trial, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“This prosecution and the lengthy prison sentence imposed today should serve as a reminder of the Department of Justice’s firm commitment to fighting opioid diversion, and a warning to those who would traffic and illegally dispense dangerous opioids in our community,” U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. said in a news release. “The investigation and federal criminal prosecution have taken several years, but our commitment to this cause has never wavered.”

According to evidence presented at trial, from in or about March 2015 through January 2016, Lamartiniere took cash to write medically unnecessary prescriptions for large quantities of Adderall, fentanyl, hydrocodone, methadone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone. Lamartiniere’s fee typically ranged from $100 to $300 per visit, and he accepted no form of health insurance for “doctor visits.” At the end of these “visits,” Lamartiniere routinely issued prescriptions for Adderall and opioids, therefore, distributing and dispensing controlled substances that he knew were not for a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of a legitimate medical practice.

Lamartiniere earned his medical degree from Louisiana State University Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana, and was board certified in internal medicine, according to his online profile at webmd.com.

At trial, he faced up to 40 years in prison. Lamartiniere earned a salary of $195,000, but began having financial trouble after buying a new house and car in late 2014, according to penalty information and trial testimony summarized in The Advocate of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Although Lamartiniere lost his medical license, he said details of his suspension were not clear. He and his attorney said Lamartiniere acted in good faith, writing prescriptions for patients as a caring physician who made honest efforts to evaluate his patients, according to the Advocate news report.