Crime & Safety

Columbia Army Doctor Sentenced to Year in Prison for Drug Distribution

"[He] not only broke the law by drug trafficking, he betrayed the trust bestowed upon him by the public," said Baltimore DEA Agent Carl Kotowski.

An Army Doctor from Columbia has been sentenced to a year in prison, followed by a year of home confinement, for distributing prescription painkillers, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

Joffre Erwin Robalino, 43, of Columbia, also was ordered to pay $6,171 in restitution and perform 300 hours of community service as part of his sentence.

"Robalino, a U.S. Army military doctor, not only broke the law by drug trafficking, he betrayed the trust bestowed upon him by the public," said Baltimore Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Carl J. Kotowski. "Professionals, such as doctors or pharmacists, who knowingly abuse their power and the public trust are drug dealers, no different than the street dealers that sell illicit drugs."

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Before being convicted, Robalino served as a doctor and active duty Army captain at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The DEA investigation found that from March 9, 2011, to May 25, 2011, Robalino wrote 16 prescriptions for a total of 3,525 oxcodone tablets in the names of his wife and mother, according to the DOJ.

In addition, the DEA recorded a purchase of oxycodone tablets from Robalino by an unnamed source, the Justice Department said. Over a few weeks, the source purchased 1,500 oxycodone tablets from Robalino for a price between $10 and $12 per pill, according to the DOJ.

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The Justice Department said Robalino distributed the drugs with individuals in Baltimore County and Baltimore City. Robalino was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett.


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