Lenoir County Physician Sentenced For Federal Drug Charge

GREENVILLE – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolna announced that today in federal court, Senior United States District Judge Malcolm J. Howard sentenced douglas elry watford, 60, of Kinston, North Carolina to 2 years probation.  As part of his guilty plea and as a condition of his probation, WATFORD was required to surrender his license to practice medicine in the State of North Carolina and to never seek reinstatement of said license nor any license to practice medicine in any state or territory of the United States.  WATFORD was also required to surrender his registration with the Drug Enforcement Administration to distribute and dispense controlled substances and to never seek reinstatement of said registration.

WATFORD was named in a Criminal Information filed on March 25, 2016 charging him with distribution of controlled substances by a DEA registrant contrary to federal regulations.  On April 8, 2016, watford pleaded guilty to that charge. 

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the State Bureau of Investigation’s Diversion and Environmental Crimes Unit, the North Carolina Medical Board, the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kinston Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Lawrence J. Cameron represented the government. 

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