Authorities say a doctor in Tuscaloosa, Ala., has been indicted on drug trafficking charges and faces hundreds more after a two-year investigation into his practice.
The West Alabama Narcotics Task Force says in a statement Dr. James Fullerton Hooper was arrested Tuesday on charges including trafficking opium.
The statement says the task force began investigating Hooper, owner of a clinic bearing his name, after receiving numerous complaints about the “massive amounts” of pain medication he was prescribing to patients without verifying a medical need.
The 69-year-old is being held in the Tuscaloosa County Jail on a $20,000 bond. It was not immediately known if he had a lawyer.
The investigation is ongoing and police say Hooper faces hundreds more charges including unlawful distribution of a controlled substance and trafficking in illegal drugs.
Topics Alabama
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
El Niño Likely Strongest in 75 Years, US Forecasters Say 
Honda’s Insurance Agency Operations Stall, Services ‘Paused’ 
After Losing Job and Crypto, Man Falsely Claimed $1.3M From 107 Class Actions 
20 Years After Hurricane Katrina: Are Insurers Ready for a Different $100B Disaster? 
