There’s a plea deal in the case of a Quad City area doctor accused of doling out drugs in exchange for sexual favors.
Dr. David Gierlus of Illinois City plead guilty on Friday to just one count of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. In exchange, the government dropped 94 other charges against him.
Gierlus was a longtime family doctor who practiced in Muscatine for more than 20 years until his arrest last year.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, he admits having a sexual affair with a patient and prescribing controlled substances to her for non-medical reasons.
Federal prosecutors say that according to Iowa Board of Pharmacy records, Dr. Gierlus issued prescriptions to the female patient for Adderall, Hydrocodone, Alprazolam,Temazepam, and Ambien over a three year period.
The plea agreement references an earlier indictment that states “on 95 occasions he prescribed controlled substances to seven of his patients without legitimate medical purpose and outside the scope of usual professional medical practice”, and says the conduct will be considered at his upcoming sentencing in June.
Dr. Gierlus voluntarily stopped practicing medicine after his arrest, and faces up to ten years in prison.
