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February 6, 2001, Tuesday

Psychiatrist Sentenced to Five Years in Jail

LENGTH: 366 words

DATELINE: LOS ANGELES

A Los Angeles psychiatrist was sentenced to five years in jail for illegally prescribing dangerous narcotics to two people with
histories of psychiatric and drug problems.
Dr. William Leader, 42, who has an office in the Mid-City district, was sentenced late yesterday by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Josh Fredricks.
A jury convicted the doctor of 14 counts of illegally prescribing a controlled substance to an addict and habitual user.

The charges stemmed from investigations by the state Medical Board. The agency had received complaints from two men who claimed Leader over- prescribed $ % medications for their adult sons, both of whom had histories of psychiatric
and drug problems, said Deputy City Attorney Keith De La Rosa.
One of the sons was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Oct. 21, 1997, and a coroner’s report stated that he died from the effects of Phenobarbital
and Valium intake, De La Rosa said.
In medical records from Sept. 15, 1997, Leader noted that the man had drug problems and had recently been ill from the effects of drug ingestion. But the $ % doctor prescribed Valium and Phenobarbital that day and again on Oct. 16, 1997 $ % — five days before the man died, according to investigators.
Valium is used to treat anxiety disorders, and Phenobarbital is a central nervous system depressant.
The other man had spent 3 1/2 months in a clinic recovering from drug ingestion before being discharged on July 16, 1999, prosecutors said.
Records showed the doctor prescribed Xanax, Tylenol with codeine, Halcion and Lomotil for him 11 days later, according to prosecutors.
Xanax is used to treat nervousness and tension, Tylenol is a pain-killer, Halcion is used for insomnia and Lomotil is a treatment for diarrhea.
The man was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center three days later, after becoming ill from the effects of ingesting drugs. He is now in drug
rehabilitation, prosecutors said.
The doctor denied illegally prescribing narcotics, but the prosecution called a medical expert who testified that the medications that Leader
prescribed for the two men were inappropriate.