Harrison County doctor sentenced for improper prescribing of Adderall

A West Virginia doctor was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for the unlawful distribution of controlled substances and for destroying evidence.

David Elwood Hess, 61, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, was convicted after a trial earlier this year of one count of improper prescribing and one count of destroying records in a federal investigation.

Prosecutors say Hess wrote prescriptions for Adderall to his patients without a legitimate medical purpose and beyond the bounds of professional practice. Once investigators seized Hess’s phone as evidence, Hess remotely wiped his iPhone.

Hess will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Cogar and Eleanor Hurney prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Kleeh presided.

Local Businesses

Recent Stories

On the City of Buckhannon calendar: Feb. 9-13, 2026

Buckhannon’s Feb. 9–13 calendar includes a Feb. 12 Water Board meeting, Feb. 13 bulky goods pickup (call by Feb. 11), and an artist reception for Al Tucker’s “My Photo Finish” at the Colonial Arts Center. The city also urges winter weather safety as conditions rapidly change.