Rancho Palos Verdes Doctor to Be Arraigned on Illegal Prescriptions Allegations

A Rancho Palos Verdes doctor accused of illegally prescribing drugs to undercover operatives working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is scheduled to be arraigned today.

Dr. Richard Seongjun Kim, 42, was arrested Wednesday. He is facing 21 felony counts of unlawful controlled substance prescription.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office alleges that Kim illegally prescribed narcotics without a legitimate medical need to undercover operatives working with the DEA last year.

Kim, a general practitioner, allegedly wrote prescriptions for the pain medication Norco, anti-anxiety medication Xanax and muscle relaxant Soma over a three-month period for the operatives without conducting a physical examination, taking any vital signs or completing any medical charts at his clinic on Western Avenue in Rancho Palos Verdes.

Prosecutors allege that Kim would ask the operatives to bring in prior medical charts and X-rays to justify the prescriptions. In one instance, an operative brought in an X-ray of a dog’s chest, according to prosecutors.

Kim is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail. If convicted as charged, he could face up to 16 years and four months in local custody, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

City News Service