Dentist sentenced to prison for Rx abuse and fraud
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COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - A Columbia dentist has been sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to drug distribution laws.
Dr. Ronald Shermer was arrested in April 2014 after prosecutors say he unlawfully picked up a prescription at a Columbia pharmacy for his own personal use. The prescription for hydrocodone was written by Dr. Shermer for one of his patients, but prosecutors say he picked up the prescription without the patient's knowledge or consent.
Prosecutors say the transaction was captured on store surveillance video and confirmed through financial records and proof of identification.
Shermer had been licensed to practice dentistry in South Carolina since 1975. He had no prior criminal record. Shermer could have been sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
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