Naga Raja Thota, a 62-year-old pain specialist
based in El Cajon, admitted in November while
pleaded guilty that he gave 870 oxycodone pills
and 300 hydrocodone pills to a female patient.
He also admitted prescribing pills in the names
of the woman’s relatives in 2013 and had sexual
contact with a second female patient in
exchange for drugs in 2013 and 2014, the San
Diego Union-Tribune reports.
“I think the doctor ignored the Hippocratic oath,
‘First do no harm,’” said US District Judge Larry
Burns, who characterized Thota’s conduct as
“egregious.”
Robert Schlein, Thota’s defense attorney, said
his client enjoyed personal and professional
success until his 29-year marriage fell apart and
asked the judge to consider leniency.
“There was no question he was at fault,”
Schlein said, adding that many of the patients
Thota handled at his practice were difficult to
treat due to their addictions.
Prosecutors insisted that Thota knew his
conduct was wrong, including the consequences
of engaging in a sexual relationship with a
patient.
“He absolutely knew it was wrong,” Assistant US
Attorney Orlando Gutierrez said of the text
message Thota exchanged with one of the
female patients.
Thota, meanwhile, said he was “deeply
ashamed” about his actions. Schlein said he
can no longer work as a doctor in the US and
forfeited his medical license, the Union-Tribune
reports.
The judge said he would he recommend that
Thota serve part of his 30-month prison
sentence at a halfway house if approved by
federal prison officials. He will also be on
supervised release for five years.
Thota was arrested in August and charged with
giving at least two young female patients
prescriptions for opioids without legitimate
medical reasons on several occasions in
exchange for sex, Department of Justice
officials announced last year .
“Doctors who exploit patients are the worst kind
of predators,” DEA San Diego Special Agent in
Charge William Sherman said in a news release
announcing the charges. “DEA recognizes the
trust the citizens of San Diego place in their
doctors. We will continue to ensure that
physicians who are abusing that trust by
bartering sex for prescriptions will be arrested
and prosecute.
Defence