SPOKANE, Wash. — A longtime Spokane dentist was sentenced to home confinement after pleading guilty to drug charges.
James Shelby, 36, plead guilty to three counts of conspiring to distribute opioid pain medications without a legitimate medical purpose, according to the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Shelby was sentenced to 15-months home confinement followed by a three-year term of probation. He can no longer prescribe controlled substances.
Authorities said Shelby wrote prescriptions for hydrocodone and tramadol. Court papers note that more than 17,000 pills were distributed since 2014.
According to court documents, when Shelby spoke with law enforcement, he said he was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a patient and she became addicted to hydrocodone.
