Former Falls Church Doctor Tied To Drugs In Overdose Death Pleads Guilty

FALLS CHURCH, VA — A doctor who previously lived in Falls Church pleaded guilty to unlawfully distributing controlled substances outside his professional practice, which led to an opioid overdose death in Fairfax.

Dr. Robert M. Cao, 39, of Lafayette, Louisiana, who was licensed in D.C. and Virginia, made a guilty plea to five charges.

According to D.C. federal court documents, Cao admitted to writing a man, who later fatally overdosed, prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone at least five times without a physical examination, treatment plan or known medical condition. Oxycodone and hydrocodone are opioid pain medications prosecutors say have potential for abuse.

The overdose happened on May 31, 2021, when first responders were called to a Fairfax home. The victim's girlfriend found him cold and non-responsive, and he was pronounced dead under suspicious circumstances, authorities said.

An autopsy confirmed the cause of death was acute combined oxycodone and ethanol poisoning. Prescription bottles containing Percocet, a mix of oxycodone and acetaminophen, were found on the nightstand with Cao listed as the prescribing doctor.

According to prosecutors, Cao attempted to avoid being caught by law enforcement. Cao reportedly told the victim to avoid a paper trail and to fill prescriptions at times they would least likely be questioned by pharmacies. After the victim's overdose death, Cao created fraudulent backdated medical records to make it look like he gave legitimate prescriptions.

Sentencing in D.C. federal court is scheduled for Feb. 22, 2023.