McHenry County Government: DOCTOR CONVICTED OF CRIMES RELATED TO OVERPRESCRIBING OPIOIDS

Press release from the McHenry County Government:

02/02/2022 11:03 AM

PRESS RELEASE

February 2, 2022

DOCTOR CONVICTED OF CRIMES RELATED TO OVERPRESCRIBING OPIOIDS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office announces that Dr. Thomas Tilot was convicted of four counts of Unlawful Dispensing of a Controlled Substance, Class A misdemeanors, through a negotiated plea. 

“This is a first-of-its-kind, historic prosecution of a doctor for overprescribing opioids to unsuspecting patients who he got hooked,” said Kenneally. “This wasn’t a case of greed in that Dr. Tilot was dispensing drugs to patients with bogus symptoms for the money. Rather, this was just bad doctoring and an overreliance on prescribing opioids to the point where he was endangering the lives of his patients and making them sicker.” 

In 2018, the State’s Attorney’s Office began collaborating with the Drug Enforcement Agency in reviewing the prescribing practices of doctors in McHenry County. Dr. Tilot was identified as a peak prescriber. Upon further investigation of specific patients, investigators concluded that some of his prescribing practices were indefensible and went far beyond any acceptable medical standards.

“The opioid epidemic, despite falling out of the top story on the nightly news, is only getting worse,” said Kenneally.  “In 2021, over 100,000 Americans died of a drug overdose - the most ever. That’s more people than the entire populations of Crystal Lake, Woodstock, and McHenry City combined. While there are multiple engines driving the epidemic, over-prescription of opioids by physicians continues to be one of the primary causes. Local practitioners should be aware that the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office will continue to monitor prescribing practices for any discrepancies and use all means at our disposal to redress them.”       

Dr. Tilot was initially charged with multiple low-level felonies. The State’s Attorney’s Office agreed to slightly reduce the charges in view of the facts that Dr. Tilot has voluntarily relinquished his medical license, has no prior criminal history, and after consultation with the victims.     

“With over 100,000 Americans dying each year from opioid overdoses, medical professionals who violate their oaths to ‘do no harm’ must be held accountable,” said Robert Bell, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration – Chicago Division. “The DEA will continue working to keep Illinois families safe from medical professionals who illegally divert opioid painkillers from legitimate medical supplies.” 

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This press release was produced by the McHenry County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.