WAFB Channel 9, Baton Rouge, LA |Gonzales Doctor Makes Initial Appearance on Federal Charges

Gonzales Doctor Makes Initial Appearance on Federal Charges

A Gonzales doctor accused of unlawfully dispensing certain prescription drugs made his initial appearance in Federal Court in Baton Rouge Tuesday afternoon.

The procedure is a time in which the charges against the doctor are formally announced in court.

According to a Bill of Information filed in the case, federal prosecutors allege Dr. Donald P. Auzine "knowingly and intentionally" dispensed several controlled substances "without a legitimate medical purpose and "not in the usual course of medical practice."

The drugs included Adderrall, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, and Benzphetamine, prosecutors said.

Auzine, 38, of Prairieville, was allowed to leave court after his initial appearance.  A date for further court proceedings was not immediately set.

WAFB's Jim Shannon reported that prosecutors and Auzenne appeared to be working toward a plea agreement in the case.  

Auzine owned and operated New Image and Wellness Center on St. Landry Road in Gonzales.  His Gonzales office is "temporarily" closed, according to a worker at one of Auzine's clinics in Mississippi.

During a search of Auzine's home in April, investigators say they found marijuana, ecstasy, and $275,000 in cash. 

Auzine was issued a Louisiana medical license in March of 2001.  That license is set to expire in February 2009, according to state records.