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Physician Pleads Guilty To Drug Charge

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) -- A Prince Frederick physician has pleaded guilty to illegal distribution of drugs for writing prescriptions without performing exams on patients.

Dr. George Mathews, 76, also pleaded guilty to health care fraud Friday in federal court in Greenbelt. If the judge accepts the plea agreement, Mathews will be sentenced to two years of probation with a condition requiring home detention for all two years.

According to his plea agreement, Mathews had medical offices in Prince Frederick and Waldorf. Prosecutors say he repeatedly wrote prescriptions for drugs that he knew were without any legitimate medical purpose.

Authorities say several patients stated that Mathews performed little or no examination before writing the prescriptions.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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