Tuscaloosa Doctor Charged With Drug Trafficking

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) – Authorities say a Tuscaloosa doctor has been indicted on drug trafficking charges and faces hundreds more after a two-year investigation into his practice.

DR. JAMES HOOPER

The West Alabama Narcotics Task Force says in a statement Dr. James Fullerton Hooper was arrested Tuesday on charges including trafficking opium.

The statement says the task force began investigating Hooper, owner of a clinic bearing his name, after receiving numerous complaints about the “massive amounts” of pain medication he was prescribing to patients without verifying a medical need.

The 69-year-old is being held in the Tuscaloosa County Jail on a $20,000 bond. It was not immediately known if he had a lawyer.

The investigation is ongoing and police say Hooper faces hundreds more charges including unlawful distribution of a controlled substance and trafficking in illegal drugs.