Former Delaware Doctor Who Sold Opioids Gets 20 Years In Prison

WASHINGTON, DC — A former Delaware doctor convicted of unlawfully distributing more than 1 million opioid pills to patients in exchange for cash has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday.

Patrick Titus, 58, of Milford, was convicted by a federal jury in July 2021 on 13 counts of unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances. He was also convicted on one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises.

According to court documents, Titus distributed a variety of powerful opioids to patients through his internal medicine practice, including fentanyl, morphine, methadone, OxyContin, and oxycodone. The drugs were not prescribed for legitimate medical purposes, authorities said.

Court documents also showed Titus frequently prescribed the controlled substances in high dosages and sometimes in combination with other opioids, mostly in exchange for cash.

Overall, Titus distributed more than 1 million opioid pills, authorities said.

"This sentence is a reminder that the Department of Justice will hold accountable those doctors who are illegitimately prescribing opioids and fueling the country’s opioid crisis," Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kenneth Polite Jr. said in a statement. "Doctors who commit these unlawful acts exploit their roles as stewards of their patients’ care for their own profit."