[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 39 (Friday, February 27, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10042-10043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-4973]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Drug Enforcement Administration


Eric Jones, M.D.; Revocation of Registration; Denial of Request 
To Modify Registration

    On September 18, 1997, the Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office 
of Diversion Control, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), issued an 
Order to Show Cause to Eric E. Jones, M.D., (Respondent) of Atlanta, 
Georgia, notifying him of an opportunity to show cause as to why DEA 
should not revoke his DEA Certificate of Registration BJ2942440, deny 
any pending applications for modification of his registration to change 
his address to Georgia, and deny any pending applications for renewal 
of such registration under 21 U.S.C. 823(f) and 824(a)(1) and (a)(3). 
The Order to Show Cause alleged that Respondent materially falsified 
his application for renewal of his DEA Certificate of Registration and 
that he was not currently authorized to handle controlled substances in 
the State of Georgia.
    By letter dated December 15, 1997, Respondent waived his right to a 
hearing, but submitted a written statement regarding this matter 
pursuant to 21 CFR 1301.43(c). In addition, the Director of Morehouse 
School of Medicine's Family Medicine Residency Program submitted a 
letter in support of Respondent. The Acting Deputy Administrator hereby 
enters his final order in this matter based upon the investigative file 
and Respondent's written statement pursuant to 21 CFR 1301.43(e) and 
1301.46.
    The Acting Deputy Administrator finds that by final order dated 
June 28, 1994, the Maryland Board of Physician Quality Assurance 
(Maryland Board) suspended Respondent's license to practice medicine 
for three years, but stayed the suspension and placed Respondent on 
probation for a period of three years subject to various terms and 
conditions. One reason for the Board's action was Respondent's failure 
to disclose on his renewal application for his Maryland medical license 
that his clinical privileges and employment at a local hospital had 
been terminated for disciplinary reasons.
    On March 6, 1995, Respondent executed an application for a new DEA 
Certificate of Registration. The application was preprinted with an 
address for Respondent in Los Angeles, California. Respondent had 
crossed out that address and handwritten in an address in Washington, 
D.C. The Acting Deputy Administrator considers this a request by 
Respondent to modify his address on his registration to Washington, 
D.C.
    One question on the application, hereinafter referred to as ``the 
liability question,'' asks, ``Has the applicant ever been convicted of 
a crime in connection with controlled substances under State or Federal 
law, or ever surrendered or had a Federal controlled substance 
registration revoked, suspended, restricted or denied, or ever had a 
State professional license or controlled substance registration 
revoked, suspended, denied, restricted or placed on probation?'' 
Respondent answered ``no'' to this question.
    On February 4, 1997, Respondent submitted a request to further 
modify his registration by changing his address to a location in 
Atlanta, Georgia. Respondent noted on this request that, ``I do not 
hold a Georgia License.'' A letter from the Georgia Composite State 
Board of Medical Examiners dated August 11, 1997, states that ``Eric E. 
Jones is not now nor has he ever been licensed as a physician in the 
State of Georgia.''
    The Deputy Administrator may revoke or suspend a DEA Certificate of 
Registration under 21 U.S.C. 824(a), upon a finding that the 
registrant:
    (1) Has materially falsified any application filed pursuant to or 
required by this subchapter or subchapter II of this chapter;
    (2) Has been convicted of a felony under this subchapter or 
subchapter II of this chapter or any other law of the United States, or 
of any State relating to any substance defined in this subchapter as a 
controlled substance;
    (3) Has had his State license or registration suspended, revoked, 
or denied by component State authority and is no longer authorized by 
State law to engage in the manufacturing, distribution, or dispensing 
of controlled substances or has had the suspension, revocation, or 
denial of his registration recommended by competent State authority;
    (4) Has committed such acts as would render his registration under 
section 823 of this title inconsistent with the public interest as 
determined under such section; or
    (5) Has been excluded (or directed to be excluded) from 
participation in a program pursuant to section 1320a-7(a) of Title 42.
    The Acting Deputy Administrator finds that Respondent is not 
currently authorized to practice medicine in the State of Georgia, 
where he wants to modify his DEA registration. Respondent, in his 
written statement, concedes that he does not possess a Georgia medical 
license. The Acting Deputy Administrator further finds that since 
Respondent is not currently authorized to practice medicine in the 
State of Georgia, it is reasonable to infer that he is not currently 
authorized to handle controlled substances in that state.
    The DEA does not have the statutory authority under the Controlled 
Substances Act to issue or maintain a registration if the applicant or 
registrant is without state authority to handle controlled substances 
in the state in

[[Page 10043]]

which he conducts his business. 21 U.S.C. 802(21), 823(f) and 
824(a)(3). This prerequisite has been consistently upheld. See Romeo J. 
Perez, M.D., 62 FR 16,193 (1997); Demetris A. Green, M.D., 61 FR 60,728 
(1996); Dominick A. Ricci, M.D., 58 FR 51,104 (1993).
    Here it is clear that Respondent is not currently authorized to 
handle controlled substances in the State of Georgia. Therefore, 
Respondent is not entitled to a DEA registration in that state and his 
request for modification of his registration to an address in Georgia 
must be denied.
    Regarding the revocation of Respondent's DEA Certificate of 
Registration under 21 U.S.C. 824(a)(1), the Acting Deputy Administrator 
finds that DEA has previously held that in finding that there has been 
a material falsification of an application, it must be determined that 
the applicant knew or should have known that the response given to the 
liability question was false. See Bobby Watts, M.D., 58 FR 4699 (1993); 
Herbert J. Robinson, M.D., 59 FR 6304 (1994).
    Respondent states in his written statement that, ``the material 
falsification of my application for DEA Certificate renewal was a grave 
and profound error of ignorance of the facts concerning the nature of 
the determination made by the Maryland Board. It was a serious error of 
omission because I understood the three year probation as a `second 
change' in this matter, and the stayed suspension as not equivalent, in 
fact, to an outright suspension of my license. It was because of this 
misunderstanding on my behalf that I did not include this information 
on the DEA Certificate renewal application in March of 1995. I had no 
intent to beguile or manipulate; profoundly I did not know or tru[sic] 
understand.''
    The Acting Deputy Administrator finds that Respondent's explanation 
does not relieve him of his responsibility to properly answer the 
liability question. The fact that Respondent viewed his being placed on 
probation by the Maryland Board as ``a second change'' is irrelevant. 
Respondent does not deny that he knew that his license was placed on 
probation. Likewise, his contention that he did not understand is not 
credible. Respondent knew or should have known that his Maryland 
medical license was placed on probation for three years. Therefore, the 
Acting Deputy Administrator concludes that by answering ``no'' to the 
liability question, Respondent materially falsified his March 6, 1995 
renewal application.
    The Director of Morehouse School of Medicine's Family Medicine 
Residency Program submitted a letter on behalf of Respondent, stating 
that Respondent ``has always been very honest about his status with 
licensing organizations.'' The Acting Deputy Administrator concludes 
that the Director's support does not negate the fact that Respondent is 
not currently authorized to handle controlled substances in Georgia or 
that he materially falsified his application for renewal of his DEA 
Certificate of Registration.
    The Acting Deputy Administrator finds that since Respondent did not 
offer any other explanation for the falsification of his application or 
any mitigating evidence, revocation of Respondent's DEA Certificate of 
Registration is warranted. Even if Respondent did not intentionally 
falsify his application, his negative answer to the liability question 
demonstrates a lack of attention to detail and carelessness, both of 
which are of great concern to the Acting Deputy Administrator. This is 
made even more troublesome by the fact that part of the basis for the 
Maryland Board's action was that Respondent failed to disclose certain 
information on his application for renewal of his medical license. If 
anything, Respondent should have been even more careful in answering 
questions on his applications.
    Accordingly, the Acting Deputy Administrator of the Drug 
Enforcement Administration, pursuant to the authority vested in his by 
21 U.S.C. 823 and 824 and 28 CFR 0.100(b) and 0.104, hereby orders that 
DEA Certificate of Registration BJ2942440, issued to Eric E. Jones, 
M.D., be, and it hereby is, revoked. The Acting Deputy Administrator 
furthers orders that Dr. Jones' request to modify his registration, and 
any pending applications for renewal of such registration, be, and they 
hereby are, denied. This order is effective March 30, 1998.

    Dated: February 20, 1998.
Peter F. Gruden,
Acting Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 98-4973 Filed 2-26-98; 8:45 am]
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