A former Roseboro doctor has been found guilty by a federal jury of illegally distributing prescription drugs out of his medical office in 2002 and 2003, and is facing 40 years in prison as a result.

Sentencing is expected to take place later.

Perry Reese III, 49, of Roseboro, was found guilty of two counts of distribution of a controlled substance and one count of racketeering activity.

Reese was a licensed medical physician operating a practice, Roseboro Urgent Care P.A., when he illegally distributed controlled drugs, including oxycodone, fentanyl, diazepam and alprazolam, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Thursday.

Evidence presented at Reese’s trial showed that, from April 2002 to April 2003, he used two different methods in dispensing drugs through his medical office.

In the first, “patients” would come to Reese’s Roseboro office and tell a person at the front desk what prescription drugs they wanted and they would be given a price based on the prescription, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Once given the money, the person at the front desk would take it to Reese, who would write a prescription.

The second method cut out the middle man.

In those cases, the drug purchaser would ask to see Reese and personally give him money in exchange for the prescription.

Prosecutors said Reese distributed drugs for about a one-year span, from April 2002 to April 2003, even engaging in the illegal activity during a time from the end of December to the beginning of February in which his office was closed and had no physical location. During that time, Reese took calls from drug users over the phone, making arrangements to meet them so the transactions could take place.

U.S. Attorney George E.B. Holding said while prescription drugs can ease pain and serve a useful purpose to those who need them, it is the job of licensed doctors to ensure those drugs are not abused.

That use and abuse of prescription narcotics has grown rampant across the nation, leading many emergency physicians to cease from dispensing them altogether. Emergency personnel at Sampson Regional Medical Center recently adopted a policy banning all refills of narcotic pain and sedative medications. They are, instead, pointing individuals toward primary physicians.

Those physicians are counted on to do their job in a professional and credible manner, Holding said.

“Prescription drug abuse has increased throughout the nation,” the U.S. Attorney said in a statement announcing Reese’s conviction. “Prescription drugs serve a very valuable purpose when used properly. However, we rely on medical professionals to dispense prescription drugs wisely, appropriately and legally. I am particularly concerned when a physician steps away from that role, abusing the privilege to authorize the dispensing of prescription drugs.”

According to N.C. Medical Board records, an undercover SBI agent visited Reese’s medical practice on three separate occasions in 2002 and 2003, requesting drug prescriptions. Each time, without performing a physical examination, Reese issued the prescriptions, according to details of prior hearings before the state medical board.

In December 2002, the SBI agent paid Reese $25 for 60 Oxycontin, while providing $65 to Reese’s staff for the office visit. The agent returned in February 2003 and April 2003, receiving 60 Percocet and 60 Oxycontin, respectively. She paid $100 to Reese for the prescription and $75 for the office visit on each occasion, the state medical board said in its findings of fact.

Following his April 2003 arrest, Reese voluntarily surrendered his license in June 2003. It was revoked by the N.C. Medical Board in April 2005.

Perry had his license suspended by the N.C. Medical Board before, in 1996, after he admitted to inappropriately touching female patients during examinations. Reese was required by the board to attend professional sexual misconduct counseling and have a chaperone present when examining female patients.

Perry received a temporary license to practice medicine in 1998 and his full license reinstated in September 2000, opening Roseboro Urgent Care the same year.

Reese faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for the charge of distribution of a controlled substance. For the racketeering charge, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Chris Berendt can be reached at 910-592-8137, ext. 121, or by email at sicrime@myclintonnc.com.