Fourth Circuit Court judge panel upholds conviction of man operating ‘pill mill’
TABOR CITY, NC (WWAY) — A three-judge panel from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a unanimous, published opinion affirming former physician Jong Whan Kim’s conviction and sentence for operating a pill mill in Tabor City.
“Kim abused his trust and authority as a physician by writing illegitimate prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances, and in doing so, placed his patients and children at a local elementary school at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.
On December 8, 2021, Kim, 76, pled guilty to conspiring with his office assistant, Tammy Thompson, to unlawfully dispense and distribute oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone, and marijuana.
The district court sentenced Kim to 78 months in prison.
Kim’s clinic was located just steps from Tabor City Elementary School. Patients seeking controlled substances often loitered near the school, which created safety concerns. As the Fourth Circuit noted, the school was forced to cancel recess due to activity at Kim’s clinic, and the school was locked down more than once.
