Ex-South Carolina COO of Virginia pain clinics sentenced to federal prison after admitting her role in healthcare fraud and illegal opioid prescribing
Roanoke, Virginia – Jennifer Adams, the former chief operating officer and practice manager of a network of pain clinics in southwest Virginia, has been sentenced to 36 months in federal prison. The 52-year-old woman from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, played a central role in helping run the clinics under L5 Medical Holdings—doing business as “Pain Care Centers”—despite having no medical background.
These clinics operated in several Virginia towns, including Woodlawn, Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Blacksburg, and Christiansburg. Adams worked closely with John Barnes, a former mortgage broker who also lacked medical training but owned and operated the clinics starting in 2014. Together, they oversaw a system where medical decisions were often influenced by individuals with no clinical expertise.
Adams pleaded guilty in November 2024 to her involvement in concealing illegal opioid prescribing practices and widespread healthcare fraud.
Prescriptions Without Oversight and Patients at Risk
Court documents revealed disturbing behavior under Adams’ leadership. Not only did she encourage medical providers to rely on the opinions of unqualified, non-medical personnel when deciding whether to treat patients for pain or opioid addiction, but she also supported actions that led to unnecessary and, at times, illegitimate prescriptions. This included the choice of which drugs should be given to patients, without proper medical evaluation.
“Adams also admitted to knowing that one practitioner, Dr. Wendell Randall, was not providing medically legitimate care to patients.” Employees at L5 had expressed serious concerns about Dr. Randall’s performance, referring to him as a “quack” and a “train wreck.” They even noted that his documentation did not “justify continuing the medication” he was prescribing and questioned whether “anyone check[ed] to see if he was real doctor.”
Adams also acknowledged that she was aware L5 was using certain doctors’ prescribing credentials—known as registration numbers—to issue prescriptions for Suboxone, a controlled substance used to treat opioid addiction. This was done even when those doctors had not evaluated the patients receiving the prescriptions. Suboxone is classified as a Schedule III drug, and its distribution without proper oversight poses serious health and legal risks.
Furthermore, Adams played a part in shaping drug testing policies at the clinics. These policies were not only medically questionable but also intentionally designed to overbill insurance providers, adding another layer of fraud to the clinic’s operations.
Federal Authorities Respond
The case was jointly investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, the Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Prosecutors S. Cagle Juhan and Jason M. Scheff led the federal case against Adams.
Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, along with several state and federal agency leaders, announced the sentencing, underscoring the harm caused by Adams’ role in the conspiracy.
This sentencing marks a significant development in ongoing efforts to crack down on healthcare fraud and the illegal distribution of opioid medications in Virginia and beyond.
