Dr. Christopher Dean Owens was arrested in Indiana on July 11th, 2017, as part of the largest health care fraud enforcement action in the Department of Justice’s history. The former San Francisco vascular surgeon initially entered a not guilty plea on the drug charges, 36 counts of distributing oxycodone.He worked at the university-affiliated Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco

Owens’ profile on the university website said he is a 1998 graduate of Indiana University’s school of medicine and listed nine research grants and 70 published studies under his name. Another site listed him as a specialist in vascular surgery, aneurysms, deep vein thrombosis and diseases of the carotid artery.

One of his alleged victims, Danielle Pattillo, was found dead in her apartment under what investigators called suspicious circumstances. 35 year old Danielle Pattillo worked at the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center with Owens. She mysteriously died in what investigators initially thought was a mere drug overdose.

But Paul Pattillo, who was in the midst of a divorce with Danielle, said she had become involved with Owens. She was found deceased and he was the last person who was with her.

Owens was immediately placed on investigatory leave by the University, UCSF fired him five months later after he was booked on local drug charges. But those charges with the San Francisco District Attorney’s office never stuck.

DEA agents also arrested Owens as part of the nationwide crackdown on fraudulent opioid prescriptions spearheaded by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

The federal indictment alleged that between September of 2012 and June of 2015, Owens, who had moved to Indiana, intended to act outside the course of usual professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose when he prescribed oxycodone on numerous occasions. In sum, Owens is charged with 36 counts of distributing oxycodone, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C).

Owens pleaded guilty to Count 36 of the indictment in open court in San Francisco this month, but the court may consider evidence relating to Counts 1 through 35 at sentencing. Judge Alsup scheduled Owens’s sentencing hearing for July 17, 2018, at 2:00 pm. The maximum statutory penalty for the violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) is 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000 plus restitution, if appropriate.

“I just think this shows that the *federal* courts are going to take this seriously and start cracking down and they need to,” said Pattillo.

His California Physicians and Surgeons certificate was revoked by the Board of Medicine in June, 2017.