A Southwest Virginia doctor has been convicted of distributing drugs illegally.
63-year-old former medical doctor Linda Sue Cheek was convicted Thursday on 172 of the 173 counts she faced.
Prosecutors say Cheek, who is originally from Dublin, Virginia, wrote prescriptions for controlled substances on her revoked DEA registration number and wrote prescriptions on a DEA number that belonged to another person.
"Despite losing her license to prescribe medication, Dr. Cheek repeatedly provided pain medication to vulnerable patients," United States Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy said today. "Her motive was greed, and she collected thousands of dollars over the course of her illegal scheme. The abuse of prescription drugs in Southwest Virginia is a public health crisis, one that is tearing families apart. We will continue to investigate and prosecute health care providers like Linda Cheek who circumvent the rules and illegally dispense these highly addictive substances."
There's no word, at this time, on when Cheek will be sentenced.