Trial starts for Kan. doctor, wife accused of peddling prescriptions to addicts to make money

Kan. doctor tried on charges he ran ‘pill mill’

WICHITA, Kan. — Jury selection has started in the trial of a Kansas doctor accused of illegally providing painkillers to addicted patients to boost his bottom line and contributing to dozens of deaths.

A federal indictment says Dr. Stephen Schneider was known as the “the candy man” and “Schneider the writer.” It says he peddled drugs to make money, sometimes giving prescriptions to patients who had already overdosed on the same medications.

Schneider and his wife Linda Schneider are charged with conspiring to illegally dispense prescription drugs, defrauding health insurance programs and patients and money laundering.

But their defense attorneys say they are compassionate health care providers who gave patients high doses of painkillers because that’s what chronic pain sufferers need.