LEXINGTON, Ky. — A former Paintsville doctor has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison, after he pleaded guilty to a federal drug conspiracy charge.

Don Bryson pleaded guilty in June 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute Schedule II controlled substances.

Bryson was previously a doctor, but surrendered his medical license following an investigation into his prescribing of controlled substances. Afterwards, he began working as a “medical consultant” at Appalachian Family Medicine, a clinic owned by his son, Jeremy Bryson.

With his guilty plea, Don Bryson admitted that even though the clinic would bring in doctors to see patients, he and his son maintained control of the practice, restricting the use of urine tests or pill counts and discouraging the doctors from reducing the patient dosages. They also allowed a doctor who didn’t have a DEA registration number required to prescribe controlled substances to illegally use the registration number of another doctor.

Over a four-day period, the doctor wrote 79 prescriptions for more than 6,900 pills using the previous doctor’s registration number, until the temp agency discovered what was happening.

Don Bryson’s sentence of one year and one day is far less than the maximum 20 years he could have received. He has also agreed to forfeit more than $124,000 seized from the clinic’s bank accounts, as well as the clinic building and a 2020 Dodge Ram truck purchased with clinic proceeds.

Don Bryson currently remains free. He has been ordered to self-report to prison July 14.

Jeremy Bryson was later charged in connection with the clinic. In March, a jury found him guilty of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to use the DEA registration of another, monetary transaction derived from unlawful activity and six counts of distributing controlled substances, following an eight-day trial in Frankfort. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 2.