Doctor Kills Self Day After Sentencing in Drug Case

An East San Diego physician killed himself in his office Tuesday, one day after he was fined $20,000 and placed on five years’ probation for illegally distributing prescription drugs, the coroners office announced.

Dr. Julius C. Gorton Jr., 59, was found dead in his office in the 4300 block of 40th Street at about 9 a.m. Tuesday by his father-in-law, according to San Diego County Deputy Coroner Dan Matticks.

Matticks said that Gorton died of a self-inflicted, .38-caliber gunshot wound in the mouth. Gorton had been despondent over legal and health problems, Matticks said in a news release.

Gorton had been sentenced and fined Monday by U. S. District Court Judge Rudi Brewster after he had pleaded guilty Dec. 12 to one count of illegally distributing a controlled drug to an undercover agent who posed as a patient.

Gorton was given a three-year suspended sentence, but no jail time was to be served, and Gorton’s medical license was not suspended. Gorton was also ordered, under the conditions of probation, not to prescribe controlled substances.

Gorton was indicted by a federal grand jury last April on 60 counts of distributing drugs without a legitimate medical prescription. All but one of the counts was dismissed when he pleaded guilty to one count.