A former doctor in Alamo has been given a year and a day in federal prison for illegally distributing opioids, U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey announced Monday.
Parto Karimi, 59, was convicted of distributing powerful opioids outside the scope of her medical practice after she pleaded guilty last year to distributing Norco, a brand name for medication containing acetaminophen and hydrocodone. Prosecutors alleged that she would trade the prescriptions for street drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as cash.
Karimi had a medical practice on the grounds of her home which she called "Mindful Medicine," prosecutors said. The US Drug Enforcement Agency began investigating her after the family of one her former patients reached out to them after their loved one died. Multiple undercover agents began visiting her practice, prosecutors said, and one agent was given a prescription to Norco without a physical exam, follow-up questions, looking at medical records, exploring other options or trying a lower dose than the high-dose 10 mg she prescribed. The agent had told Karimi that they had leg pain from working in a restaurant.
In her plea deal, she admitted to acting in an unauthorized manner and knowingly prescribing addictive medication.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
After her prison sentence, Karimi will be on probation for three years. She must also forfeit her medical license and pay a fine of $4,000.
