MEMPHIS, TN – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the conviction of nurse practitioner Jeffrey W. Young Jr., who was found guilty of illegally prescribing controlled substances to hundreds of patients, including six prescriptions to a pregnant woman.
Young owned Preventagenix, a medical clinic in North Jackson, Tennessee, that operated from 2014 to 2017. Although initially marketed as a family medicine practice, the clinic shifted toward pain management and addiction treatment, where approximately 80 percent of patients received controlled substance prescriptions.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Young prescribed opioids to a woman during her pregnancy, despite knowing her addiction history and the risks to her unborn child. Expert testimony indicated the prescriptions had no legitimate medical purpose and were outside the course of professional practice. The woman’s child was born with opioids in her system and required treatment in a neonatal intensive care unit.
A jury convicted Young on 15 counts, including conspiracy, unlawful distribution of controlled substances, and maintaining a drug-involved premises. He was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison and six years of supervised release.
On appeal, Young argued that the government failed to prove he knowingly acted without authorization and that his DEA registration exempted him from prosecution. The appellate panel rejected both arguments, citing the Supreme Court’s ruling in United States v. Moore that physicians and registered practitioners can be prosecuted under 21 U.S.C. § 841(a) if their conduct falls outside professional medical standards.
The Sixth Circuit concluded that ample evidence supported the jury’s verdict and that the district court properly exercised jurisdiction, affirming the conviction in full.
