A National City dermatologist and his wife have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obtain prescription drugs by fraud that included tranquilizers and pain killers for personal use.
Both Dr. Matthew David Cole, 37, and his wife Shireen Cole, 37, of San Diego, are now in a drug treatment program, according to their attorneys. Matthew Cole will be sentenced April 18 by U.S. District Court Judge Marilyn Huff. He could face a maximum four-year term in federal prison.
Shireen Cole has entered into a drug diversion program with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. She must do 100 hours of community service during the next two years. If she has no violations, her conviction will be dismissed and she will not have to appear before a judge.
Dr. Matthew Cole is a dermatologist at Insight Dermatology with offices in National City and San Diego.
According to court records, Dr. Cole and his wife were involved in 39 instances of fraudulent medical prescriptions that included oxycodone, Xanax, Ambien and Percocet. Pharmacists became suspicious which led to them being charged.
Dr. Matthew Cole wrote a prescription in the name of his wife’s college friend, but she never saw him for an exam, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They acquired 1,820 tablets of scheduled pharmaceutical drugs, with 1,280 pills of oxycodone or Percocet.
Matthew Cole is free on $25,000 bond while Shireen Cole remains free on her own recognizance.
