West Virginia doctor charged with illegal prescribing, destroying evidence

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A West Virginia doctor has been indicted for the unlawful distribution of controlled substances and for destroying evidence of his alleged crimes.

David Elwood Hess, 59, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, was indicted today on twenty-five counts of improper prescribing and one count of destroying records in a federal investigation. According to court documents, Hess wrote prescriptions for Adderall, Xanax, Oxycontin, and other controlled substances to individuals without a legitimate medical purpose and beyond the bounds of professional practice. The indictment also charges Hess with remotely wiping his iPhone after it had been seized by law enforcement.

“Adderall is the chemical cousin of methamphetamine and a very powerful stimulant,” said United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “Given its high potential for misuse, medical practitioners must be cautious when prescribing it and when they are not, there will be consequences.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.