About this item
An obsessive true crime investigation of a bizarre and unlikely perpetrator, who's serving the opioid epidemic's longest term for illegal prescriptions - four life sentences Written in the tradition of I'll Be Gone in the Dark and True Crime Addict, combining Dopesick's heart rending portrayal of the epidemic's victims with Empire of Pain's examination of its perpetrators This haunting and propulsive debut follows a journalist's years-long investigation into his father's old classmate: former high school valedictorian Paul Volkman, who once seemed destined for greatness after earning his MD and his PhD from the prestigious University of Chicago, but is now serving four consecutive life sentences at a federal prison in Arizona. Volkman was the central figure in a massive "pill mill" scheme in southern Ohio.
About the Author
I'm a journalist based in my hometown: Providence, R.I.I was formerly the news editor and staff writer at my local alt-weekly, the Providence Phoenix. Since that paper closed in 2014 (RIP) , I have written for a variety of publications, including the Atlantic, Boston Globe, Men's Health, Huffington Post, VICE, the Nation, and Columbia Journalism Review. My debut book, "Prescription for Pain: How a Once-Promising Doctor Became the 'Pill Mill Killer'" is the result of a decade-long reporting odyssey. It tells the story of Paul Volkman, a med-school classmate of my dad sentenced to four consecutive life terms in prison for prescription drug-dealing. I love cooking, reading (mostly nonfiction) , running, and hanging out with my two cats, Jack and Jill.
