Jury convicts Ohio couple on pill mill charges

COLUMBUS (AP) — A federal jury broke a deadlock and convicted a husband and wife of running an Ohio pill mill that illegally prescribed thousands of painkillers.

The case in Cincinnati was among several brought in recent years to help stem what’s considered an epidemic of illegal painkiller distribution. It also illustrated the difficulty of such prosecutions, as the jury struggled with the case since beginning deliberations Thursday.

The jury acquitted Nancy and Lester Sadler of several charges but issued several guilty verdicts Tuesday. The panel acquitted a third person on trial altogether, employee Sandy Wells.

The Sadlers were each convicted of operating Ohio Medical and Pain Management in Waverly as a continuing criminal enterprise, a charge carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and up to life in prison.