WPBN: An Illinois dentist was sentenced to prison after he pled guilty to taking painkillers, including anesthesia during grueling procedures, from his surgical patients.
During a sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Central Illinois on Dec. 18, Phillip M. Jensen, 64, was given a sentence of 15 years in prison and a $200,000 fine.
Several of his former patients were present at the hearing. In a press release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of Illinois stated that Jensen acknowledged diluting prescription drugs, falsifying medical documents, and stealing fentanyl intended for his patients.
Jensen’s patients were “moving, moaning, and otherwise showing signs of pain and distress during surgery,” according to other staff members at his oral and maxillofacial surgery business in Springfield in December 2019, which sparked the charges.
Later, Jensen said that he often stole fentanyl from his own office by cracking the safety caps of the painkiller’s vials and adding saline to create the illusion that they were full.
Then he would put the caps back on so they looked sealed. Jensen fabricated medical records claiming that patients received the entire dosage. The number of patients who suffered as a result of Jensen’s conduct was around 99.
The mother of one patient’s child revealed at the sentence hearing that the child was crying and “felt everything” following a surgical procedure that Jensen had conducted.
Inova-GoHealth Expands in Alexandria with New Urgent Care Center in Seminary Hill
An additional incident that was used against Jensen was when a patient began to awaken during surgery. Jensen “struck the patient in the head with an instrument and completed the surgery, which involved the extraction of multiple teeth as well as the shaping and smoothing of the bones in her jaw, while she was conscious and lacking pain management.”
Additionally, the government provided proof that Jensen allegedly had a lengthy history of drug addiction, including rehabilitative attempts and his decision to exploit his own patients and position to acquire medications intended to treat valid medical ailments.
In addition to not providing his patients with the treatment they required, he also made measures to hide his actions. U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless said that he ultimately profited from his falsehoods.
The year Jensen’s medical license was suspended, in 2022, he was first charged. After facing 20 criminal charges, he was freed on bond. He was accused of “stalking and harassing a potential witness,” which led to his arrest by U.S. Marshalls in July 2024.
Major Drug Bust: Northwest Virginia Task Force Confiscates $10 Million Worth of Drugs in 2024
In August 2024, he entered a guilty plea to two charges of drug diversion, two counts of fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance, one count of tampering with consumer products that caused serious physical harm, and two counts of deceiving about health care problems.
Jensen was sentenced to prison and fined, and he was also required to reimburse the government for the expert witness fees.
