On February 5, 2016, Dr. Hsiu-Ying “Lisa” Tseng, DO, was sentenced to 30 years to life for the convictions of three counts of second degree murder, 20 counts of unlawfully prescribing controlled substances, and one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. The murder conviction of Dr. Tseng for prescribing a deadly concoction of medications is a first in the United States.
Some patients appeared to be under the influence of drugs or suffering from drug withdrawals, and one patient overdosed in the waiting room. One visitor claimed that the clinic resembled a parole office and had “drug dealing”. Dr. Tseng told G.R., the clinic’s receptionist, that the patients were “druggies and could wait when she expressed concern about the quantity of patients waiting as well as the level of agitation and anxiety they displayed in the waiting room. Dr. Tseng wrote 27,000 prescriptions in 3 years. Dr. Tseng routinely wrote prescriptions for opioids (such as oxycodone, oxymorphone, fentanyl, and hydrocodone), sedatives (such as promethazine and benzodiazepine), muscle relaxants (such as carisoprodol, which is sold under the brand name Soma®), and amphetamines, as well as controlled substances used to treat drug and opioid addictions (such as methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone).i
Something is wrong with what you’re doing if your patients are dying.
i https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/b270877opfpeople-v.tseng.pdf
Hsiu Ying Tseng. ALS. #6-3/4 (3.625 x 6.5). Pmk: March 23, 2023. SEALED. Content unknown. Pristine.
Murder
A Los Angeles-area doctor was convicted of murder in a landmark case for killing three patients who overdosed on what a prosecutor called “crazy, outrageous amounts” of painkillers she prescribed.
The second-degree murder convictions of Dr. Tseng were the first against a U.S. doctor for recklessly prescribing drugs.
It’s rare to bring homicide charges against a physician, but the case came amid a prescription drug abuse epidemic that has led lawmakers to try to rein in so-called pill mills that dole out medications with little scrutiny.
“You can't hide behind a white lab coat and commit crimes,” DDA John Niedermann said. “Writing a prescription to someone knowing that they’re going to abuse it and potentially die was the theory of second-degree murder that we had.”
Fourteen of Dr. Tseng's patients died, though prosecutors only brought three murder charges because of other factors involved in some of those deaths, such as drugs prescribed by other doctors and a possible suicide. (emphasis mine)
Dr. Tseng, 45, showed no emotion as the convictions were read out loud, though her lawyer said she was emotional and very upset later. Jurors deliberated for 10 days before reaching the verdicts.
She was also convicted of illegally writing prescriptions for two of the deceased patients and 16 other people, including two undercover agents who were investigating how easily she prescribed addictive pain pills after brief office visits. She was acquitted of illegally writing a hydrocodone prescription to a third undercover officer.
Dr. Tseng prescribed “crazy, outrageous amounts of medication” to patients who didn't need the pills.
The doctor repeatedly ignored warning signs even after several patients died as she built a new medical clinic in Rowland Heights with the money she made from them, earning $5 million in one three-year period. One patient even overdosed in her office and had to be revived.
Dr. Tseng faced up to life in prison when sentenced.
She was convicted of killing Vu Nguyen, 29, of Lake Forest, Steven Ogle, 25, of Palm Desert, and Joseph Rovero, 21, an Arizona State University student from San Ramon. The three died of overdoses between March and December 2009.
Dr. Tseng barely kept any records on the three men until she was contacted by the Medical Board of California. She then fabricated charts to make it look like she kept thorough records of diagnoses and noted she was weaning them off drugs.i
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i Doctor Convicted of Murder in Overdose Deaths of Patients (2015). Available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/californias-dr-hsiu-ying-lisa-tseng-convicted-murder-overdose-deaths-n454966 (Accessed: 28 March 2023).