Physician’s assistant sentenced 14 years for writing prescriptions

HESPERIA – A physician’s assistant, convicted of selling a narcotic to street-level users, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.

Christopher Henry Lister, 51, of Victorville, who pleaded not guilty last November to a count of conspiracy to distribute and attempt to distribute oxycodone, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips. In a plea agreement, Lister admitted that he used his powers as a physician’s assistant to supply OxyContin prescriptions to others, including an undercover officer from the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Lister, convicted in 2003 of making false statements to a government agent stemming from a Medi-Cal fraud investigation, sold the prescriptions for OxyContin to co-conspirators. They in turn sold the drug to street-level users. One exchange was caught on videotape during the DEA investigation. In that exchange, Lister was telling a customer to stockpile their supply because he was thinking of getting out of the business. On the video, Lister told the co-conspirator that OxyContin prices would likely increase if he stopped writing prescriptions.

Federal prosecutors said, “Lister entered into an ongoing scheme to provide oxycodone, a dangerous opiate, to street-level dealers. Using his license as a physician’s assistant, he not only provided these dealers with an avenue to obtain the controlled substance, his use of his prescription-writing powers lent an air of legitimacy to the actions that could have frustrated law enforcement attempts to combat the abuse of a drug closely aligned with heroin abuse.”

Oxycodone is the generic drug that is the brand name OxyContin.

Read More:

Victorville Daily Press: Victorville physician’s assistant sentenced

The Sun: Hesperia physician’s assistant sentenced to prison in OxyContin case

LA Times: San Bernardino County physician’s assistant sentenced