It’s about a 250-mile drive west of Chattanooga to get to Jackson, Tennessee. The city of about 65,000 is home to the so-called “Rock Doc,” a flamboyant nurse practitioner who tried to remake himself into a star. Jeffrey W. Young II was recently described by Tennessean as “a tattooed, rebellious, womanizing party animal who worked hard, played hard and lived by his own rules.”
Unfortunately for Young, it is possible that the party is over. He is currently in custody, awaiting trial on drug-trafficking charges after his April arrest.
According to a profile in the Tennessean, Young has been characterized by federal prosecutors as a man in search of stardom who abused his medical powers to prescribe opioids and other powerful drugs to addicts. He also allegedly traded prescriptions for sex with as many as 50 of his patients.
From his clinics in blue-collar Jackson, Young allegedly “prescribed more than 1.4 million addictive pills and 1,500 fentanyl patches in just three years,” the newspaper reports.
He also created a reality TV pilot for a series based on his life called “Rock Doc.” Though only one episode was ever produced, and no networks came calling, the venture burnished his social media status among a loyal following. It also caught the attention of a Tennessee health department investigator who spent several years digging into a wide variety of accusations leveled at Young that included a sexual assault (no charges were ever filed), alcohol and drug use at his clinics, sex with patients, unsafe prescribing and more.
The health department investigation eventually led to a federal investigation and his arrest this past spring as part of a national opioid abuse crackdown. As you might recall, 32 Tennessee medical professionals were arrested in that sweeping law enforcement action.
Those who face similarly serious drug distribution allegations should decline to speak to investigators before sitting down with a Chattanooga attorney experienced in waging effective drug-crime defense.
