This post was originally published on this site
A former dentist from Rochester, Illinois has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars for stealing powerful painkillers from his patients and conducting surgeries without proper pain management. 64-year-old Phillip M. Jensen faced Judge Colleen R. Lawless on December 18, 2024, where he was also ordered to pay a $200,000 fine, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Jensen, who began his scheme in December 2019, pleaded guilty in August to multiple charges, including drug diversion and fraud. The indictment against him outlined how he siphoned at least half of the fentanyl from vials and replaced it with saline solution to subsequently use the drugs personally. This betrayal of trust first surfaced when his own staff noticed patients were visibly in distress during what should have been pain-managed surgeries.
At the sentencing, the court heard from over 99 identified victims, including one mother who recounted how her child cried and said they “felt everything” following the surgery. Another patient awoke during her procedure to Jensen’s strikes on her head with a surgical instrument as he finished the operation, clearly devoid of any analgesic, as detailed in the U.S. Attorney’s Office press release.
Rejecting Jensen’s attempt to downplay his actions, Judge Lawless emphasized the severity of his conduct, saying, “If you cannot trust your doctor, who can you trust?” In July 2024, Jensen had already breached the terms of his bond by intimidating a potential witness, leading to his arrest and subsequent sentencing. He has since been stripped of his license to practice medicine and faces the uphill task to also repay the government for additional expenses, including expert witness fees.
U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris and officials from the DEA and FDA underscored the gravity of violating the physician’s oath and the threat such actions pose to public trust in healthcare.