She was a pain specialist to top athletes. Her opioid prescribing alarmed the DEA
Charlotte, North Carolina — Joan Rubinger, a renowned pain specialist who worked with top athletes, faced allegations from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for her unscrupulous opioid prescribing practices. Rubinger, who recovered from a severe biking accident that left her paralyzed, built a reputation by helping elite athletes recover from acute and chronic injuries.
Her website boasted a roster of distinguished patients, including NFL Pro Bowl stars, NBA champions, Olympic medalists, and even a few gang members.
Over a span of four years, federal authorities claimed Rubinger dispensed 260,000 pills containing controlled substances to patients in more than 20 states. The DEA described her conduct as "covert and slinking," likening her actions to selling hamburgers at a fast-food restaurant. In March, the DEA revoked Rubinger's ability to prescribe opioids following her settlement of a parallel Justice Department civil complaint.
Rubinger agreed to pay $1.4 million and promised never again to prescribe controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose.
However, the details of her alleged scheme were further revealed in unsealed federal court papers. The DEA alleged that Rubinger's scheme expanded beyond professional athletes to include members of an Ohio-based street gang, a confessed drug trafficker in New Jersey, and a New York City model. Rubinger took measures to avoid DEA suspicion by coaching clients on avoiding prescription flagging through encrypted messaging apps.
Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis, whose wife tipped off authorities, received over 13,000 oxycodone and Percocet pills from Rubinger between November 2019 and March 2024. Another former reserve NBA guard paid Rubinger more than $50,000 for illicit prescriptions long after his retirement. Rubinger's case did not result in criminal charges, although her conduct was described as unusually egregious by a former DEA investigator.
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