She was a pain specialist to top athletes. Her opioid prescribing alarmed the DEA

Joan Rubinger, a pain specialist renowned for her work with top athletes, faced federal scrutiny over her opioid prescribing practices. Once a cyclist who overcame a severe accident, Rubinger built a reputation helping elite athletes recover from injuries. Her website showcased a client roster boasting 169 NFL Pro Bowl selections, 29 NBA and WNBA champions, and 15 Olympic medalists, including celebrities like Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and Fernando Tatis Jr.

However, behind the scenes, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) alleged that Rubinger engaged in a secretive scheme to prescribe thousands of illegal opioid pills to her patients. Over four years, federal authorities claimed she distributed 260,000 pills containing controlled substances to more than 20 states. The DEA described her actions as "covert and slinking," likening her actions to selling hamburgers at a fast-food restaurant.

In March, Rubinger reached a settlement with the Justice Department, paying $1.4 million to avoid further legal action. She admitted to dispensing controlled substances like Oxycodone, Percocet, and Xanax without a legitimate medical need, though she did not plead guilty. As part of the settlement, Rubinger pledged never to prescribe controlled substances again.

Federal court documents, made public through a request by The Associated Press, shed further light on Rubinger's alleged misconduct. It emerged that her scheme expanded beyond professional athletes, targeting members of an Ohio-based street gang, a confessed drug trafficker in New Jersey, and a New York City model. To evade DEA suspicion, Rubinger allegedly instructed her clients on avoiding prescription flagging through encrypted messaging apps.