Alamo Former Doctor Sentenced For Unlawfully Prescribing Opioids: DOJ

ALAMO, CA — An Alamo woman was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing powerful opioids outside the scope of her medical practice, according to the Department of Justice.

Parto Karimi, 59, pleaded guilty in July 2023 to one count of distributing hydrocodone, a Schedule II controlled substance outside the scope of professional practice. Karimi was associated with a practice called “Mindful Medicine” located inside an accessory dwelling unit on the grounds of her home from 2011 to 2022, according to a sentencing memorandum. She was a licensed practitioner of internal medicine who had been an emergency room doctor and was authorized to prescribe controlled substances as part of her medical practice.

The Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Karimi’s practice after receiving “concerning” information from the family of one of her former patients who had passed away. In October 2021, an undercover agent asked Karimi for 10 Norco tablets for pain. Karimi admitted to prescribing 60 high-dose Norco pills without conducting a physical examination, asking following questions, obtaining medical records, exploring alternative treatment methods, or trying a lower dose. She admitted that she knew she was acting in an unauthorized manner by prescribing a highly addictive opioid.

The government alleged that Karimi wrote opioid prescriptions in exchange for street drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine, and cash payments. It is unknown if she pleaded guilty to that charge.

In addition to prison time, Karimi was forced to forfeit her California medical license, pay a $4,000 fine, and agree to three years of supervised release following her sentence.