Texas doctor convicted for running opioid pill mill in Houston

A 65-year-old Texas doctor has been convicted for running a pill mill that flooded the streets with highly addictive drugs. Barbara Marino, who operated out of a cash-only clinic in Houston, was found guilty of illegally distributing over a million opioid pills and other controlled substances. Marino worked as the sole prescriber at Angels Clinica, where she issued prescriptions without proper medical justification. Over 99% of her prescriptions were for the strongest short-acting versions of opioids and carisoprodol—a dangerous combination linked to pill mills.

She frequently prescribed the same mix of drugs to nearly every patient, including a pregnant woman in her third trimester and a person with severe bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Many of her patients were brought to the clinic by street-level dealers who later resold the pills illegally. In less than a year, Marino earned over $400,000 from the clinic’s owners for writing these prescriptions. A federal jury convicted her on one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and four counts of distribution.

The case highlights the scale of illegal opioid distribution through unethical medical practices. Marino’s convictions carry significant legal penalties, with sentencing yet to be determined. The clinic’s operations have since been shut down.