A former Alabama physician will spend more than 11 years in prison for his role in a scheme to illegally distribute an opioid drug.

Former Montgomery physician D’livro Lemat Beauchamp, 56, was sentenced to 135 months in prison for his role in a scheme to illegally distribute oxycodone, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart.

According to the plea agreement and other court records, from 1996 to 2020, Beauchamp practiced medicine at a Montgomery medical practice named Obelisk Healthcare.

Sometime around 2012, Beauchamp agreed to write illegitimate and unnecessary oxycodone prescriptions.

For writing each prescription, Beauchamp received $350. From 2012 to 2020, various organizers of the scheme recruited individuals to fill these illegitimate prescriptions at assorted pharmacies.

Beauchamp wrote prescriptions to these recruits that he knew served no legitimate medical purpose. Recruits were typically paid between $100 and $250 per prescription filled, and the organizers then collected the oxycodone pills to sell to other distributors.

Beauchamp wrote nearly 1,600 illegal prescriptions as part of the scheme, causing the illegal distribution of approximately 4,000,000 milligrams of oxycodone. In total, 38 individuals were charged for their roles in this conspiracy.

Beauchamp pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance in October of 2020. Beauchamp’s prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

“By allowing them to prescribe powerful medications, society places a great deal of trust in physicians,” stated United States Attorney Stewart. “Not only did the defendant’s unlawful actions violate his oath to provide care for his patients, but they also contributed to the vicious cycle of addiction that is destroying lives and families. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad did an excellent job of identifying Beauchamp’s alarming prescribing pattern. The thorough investigation that followed resulted in the dismantling of a drug supply line that led straight to our communities.”

“The successful prosecution of D’livro Lemat Beauchamp should put on notice those who engage in this type of illegal activity,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Towanda Thorne-James. “We will work together with state and local law enforcement to see that anyone involved in the diversion of pharmaceuticals will be brought to justice”