Oakland County Doctor Sentenced in Drugs-for-Sex Scheme

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An Oakland County physician whose license was revoked earlier this year has been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for prescribing unnecessary prescription drugs in exchange for sex or cash.

John Ronald Verbovsky, 67, of Southfield, pleaded guilty in Ingham County Circuit Court to two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of Medicaid fraud and one count of racketeering, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said in a statement Wednesday.

Under the sentence imposed by Ingham County Circuit William Collette, Verbovsky will spend a minimum of five years in prison.

“The predatory conduct exhibited in this case is particularly reprehensible considering the offender here had taken a professional oath to care for the sick,” Schuette said in the statement. “He has harmed patients and damaged families, his behavior is inexcusable and Verbovsky will never practice medicine again.”

A doctor of osteopathic medicine, Verbovsky’s medical license was permanently revoked in the first use of patient protection laws since they became law in March of 2015. The “patient harm” license revocation laws applied to Verbovsky are based on infamous metro-Detroit oncologist Farid Fata’s patient abuse and allows for the permanent revocation of a medical license in certain “patient harm” circumstances.

Verbovsky practiced medicine at his clinic, Progressive Family Medicine, in Sterling Heights, and at Stout Family Medicine in Detroit.

He was charged after Schuette’s office began investigating allegations that he was prescribing narcotics for non-medical use in exchange for sexual favors and cash. The investigation revealed the federal Medicaid program was illegally billed for the drugs.

Verbovsky surrendered himself to the court on Feb. 3.

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