Ex-doctor gets more than two years in prison for illegally distributing drugs

9/27/2013

A former Maumee cardiologist who admitted to illegally distributing prescription pain medication was sentenced today to 28 months in prison.

Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Gene Zmuda said Barry DeRan, 55, of Lambertville could report on Monday to begin serving his sentence.

DeRan, who agreed to surrender his state medical license, pleaded guilty in July to four counts each of trafficking in drugs and attempted trafficking in drugs. As part of a plea agreement, Judge Zmuda today dismissed 22 additional felony trafficking charges.

De Ran admitted he improperly prescribed or attempted to prescribe the pain medication OxyContin on multiple occasions in 2009 to people he knows or those referred to him but who were not patients of his.

The former physician also faces sentencing Dec. 30 in U.S. District Court where he pleaded guilty last month to one count of conspiracy and eight counts of aiding and abetting making false statements in the acquisition of firearms.

In that case, he admitted to purchasing firearms from an Internet dealer by having an employee from his medical practice pretend to be the buyer.