Goddard physician sentenced to two years in federal prison

Goddard physician sentenced to two years in federal prison

Goddard physician Lawrence Simons was sentenced today to two years in federal prison for unlawfully prescribing a controlled substance.

Simons, 53, admitted that on Nov. 16, 2007, he signed two prescriptions for Fentanyl for a person identified as Crystal B. On Jan. 15, 2008, he signed two more prescriptions for Fentanyl for Crystal B.

Simons argued in a court filing last week that he received no money for the unlawful prescriptions he wrote after he was fired from the Haysville clinic of physician Stephen Schneider. Schneider is facing separate federal charges linked to 59 patient deaths.

It is unlawful for a physician to prescribe controlled substances except for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of medical practice.

Simons had never established a physician-patient relationship with Crystal B. In fact, he had never met her.