Overview

• U.S. District Judge Terrence G. Berg sentenced Dr. Charise Valentine on Sept. 24 after a jury conviction for conspiracy and 10 illegal distribution counts.
• From November 2016 to July 2018, she issued over 3,000 prescriptions for more than 200,000 pills, primarily oxycodone 30mg and oxymorphone 40mg, valued by prosecutors at over $5.2 million.
• The Orthopedic Medical Building operated as a cash-only site in an Oak Park warehouse, charging $200–$500 per prescription, using recruiters, and generating fraudulent medical records.
• Valentine received about half of clinic proceeds—over $500,000 in cash in 19 months—and was paid only when she wrote opioid prescriptions.
• The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew J. Lievense and Wayne F. Pratt prosecuted; co-defendants Iris Winchester, Dr. Michele Ritter, and Joyce Robinson had already pleaded guilty and were sentenced.