Thousand Oaks Doctor Arrested For Allegedly Selling Prescription Drugs

THOUSAND OAKS (CBSLA.com)  —  The Ventura County Interagency Pharmaceutical Crimes Unit (PCU) and the Ventura Police Department have announced the arrest of Dr. Paul Duran for illegal drug sales.

Dr. Duran, 50,  was arrested Thursday at 1:30 p.m.

Detectives from the PCU and Ventura Police Department began an investigation into the illicit sales of pharmaceutical drugs on the streets of Oxnard and Ventura in February 2016.

The investigation allegedly traced that the pills were coming from a doctor's office in Thousand Oaks.

Duran was identified as the source of supply and over the next several months numerous undercover purchases were made from Dr. Duran at his office. Dr. Duran would write prescriptions for opioids such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, benzodiazepines such as Alprazolam (Xanax), and stimulants like dextroamphetamine / amphetamine (Adderall) allegedly with no examination.

Investigators also learned that Duran was already on probation with the California Medical Board for similar activity in the past.

Detectives served a search warrant at the medical practice as well as Duran's home in West Hills. Evidence related to the illicit prescribing of medication was allegedly found at both locations.

Dr. Duran surrendered his DEA registration suspending his ability to write controlled substance prescriptions. He has been booked into the Ventura County Jail.

The Ventura County Interagency Pharmaceutical Crimes Unit is a task force made up of members from the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, Simi Valley Police Department, Thousand Oaks Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, the Health Quality Investigation Unit of the California Division of Investigation, and the California Department of Health Care Services.