A former Rawlins doctor, who gave up his license in 2018, has been charged with multiple counts of illegally prescribing opioids and other controlled substances, according to federal court records.

David Ray Cesko, 66, is charged in the 32-count indictment for dispensing the medicines from 2014 to 2017 often "without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice," according to the indictment handed up by the federal grand jury last week.

The drugs include oxycodone, alprazolam, tramadol, promethazine with codeine, amphetamine/dextroamphetamie, and hydrocodone, according to the indictment.

Some of those counts include dispensing the controlled substances to people under 21 and to pregnant persons under 21.

Depending on the charges, each count is punishable up to 20 years in prison, while the counts of dispensing the controlled substances to persons under 21 are punishable by up to 40 years in prison.

If convicted on all counts, Cesko could face a sentence of up to 860 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $32 million.

The indictment did not give any details about the investigation other than to list the criminal counts, drugs, dates, number of pills, and the recipients.

The government intends to have him detained pending trial because of a drug offense punishable by more than 10 years in prison and there are no conditions for his release that would reasonably assure the safety of the community.

Cesko did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

On Aug. 18, 2018, Cesko voluntarily relinquished his physician license and the Wyoming Board of Medicine accepted the relinquishment that day.

Previous disciplinary actions started in 2005 when he agreed with the board to take a courses on prescribing controlled substances and record keeping, and be subject to random unannounced reviews of patient records.

In 2010, Cesko entered into another consent degree for two years because his compliance wasn't properly monitored.

In 2017, the board suspended his license saying he "posed an imminent threat to the health, welfare and safety of the people of Wyoming." The board found he was inappropriately prescribing controlled substances to patients for other than legitimate purposes, prescribing them to known abusers, and offering drugs in exchange for sex.






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