A Pittsburgh man was sentenced to two years in federal prison Thursday for practicing medicine and writing prescriptions after his certified registered nurse practitioner license was suspended.
Larry J. Goisse Jr., 38, was ordered to spend three years on supervised release after the prison term, according to court records. He was indicted in 2019.
A grand jury found that after his license was suspended for a misdemeanor drug possession conviction, he continued to prescribe Adderall, a medication used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, at his Prime Psychiatric Care clinics in Bakery Square and Penn Hills.
Investigators were tipped off by several former employees, according to court records. He pleaded guilty in October to drug diversion and health care fraud.
Prosecutors sought a longer prison term, according to a memorandum.
“The severity of (Goisse’s) offense conduct cannot be overstated,” attorneys wrote in the document. “(Goisse) had the prescription pad, the pen and all the power to prescribe addictive … controlled substances, and he abused that power.”
Goisse was released from custody after his arrest to an inpatient treatment facility, which he successfully completed, according to defense attorney Thomas Livingston. He pointed to Goisse’s remorse and cooperation, as well as ongoing recovery, as a reason for a time-served sentence. Goisse was on home detention for a period of time after completion of the drug treatment program, according to court filings.
In a letter to the court, Goisse said he plans to seek a different career path and eventually apply for a pardon to assist with future employment opportunities.
“When I look back, maybe the arrest was a blessing in disguise,” he wrote. “The five days I spent in the Allegheny County Jail alone is enough to deter me from doing this again.”
He was ordered to report to prison for his sentence by March 16 and pay $2,500 in restitution. His license remains suspended, according to state records.
