56-count grand jury indictment alleges doctor illegally sold opiates

A doctor was arrested at his Irvine office on suspicion of illegally prescribing his clients with opiates and accepting cash for pills, authorities said Wednesday.

Alvin Mingczech Yee, 43, of Mission Viejo was arrested Tuesday night after a 56-count grand jury indictment charged him with prescribing pills “outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose,” according to a news release from the Department of Justice.

Huntington Beach and Orange police assisted Drug Enforcement Administration agents in arresting Yee.

Authorities claim Yee met clients at coffee shops like Starbucks across Orange County, sometimes meeting with up to 12 people a night. They say he prescribed medication with little examination and charged up to $600 for prescriptions.

One third of Yee’s clients were 25 or younger, according to the news release.

Yee faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.

— Lauren Williams

Twitter: @lawilliams30