Ronald W. Chapman II is a nationally recognized trial lawyer, legal analyst, and author who is known for achieving acquittal in high profile cases. He is a Shareholder and Chair of the White Collar division of Chapman Law Group and defends those accused of federal criminal offenses. Ron is known for achieving high profile acquittals on behalf of a broad range of clients.
Federal Criminal Defense Attorney
With A Proven Track Record of Victory
The typical federal defendant has a .6% chance of a trial acquittal. With five full trial acquittals over just the past two years - Ron’s work defies the odds. Given his trial results, clients who wish to resolve cases benefit from the significant litigation risk the Government invites by indicting one of his clients.
With a career spanning over a decade, Ron has established himself as a leader in the field of white collar criminal defense, health care fraud, and opioid prescribing prosecutions. He regularly appears on national television stations to discuss developments in federal criminal cases.
Having represented clients in some of the largest federal healthcare fraud prosecutions in the U.S., Ron's record of acquittals in major federal white collar federal cases is unparalleled. His strategic approach to federal litigation and his passion for the courtroom have brought success to many of his clients in their most troubling times.
Speaker and Author of “Unraveling Federal Investigations”
Ron is not only an accomplished lawyer, but also an accomplished author and speaker. He has authored peer-reviewed articles on the topic of healthcare fraud and physician drug trafficking defense and is the author of “Fight the Feds: Unraveling Federal Criminal Investigations”. He has also delivered lectures across the country, including at Harvard and in Washington, D.C.. His popular blog, Federal Defense Blog is widely read by white collar crime practitioners and provides industry leading information to federal criminal defense attorneys.
Ron’s experience has been sought nationwide. He has achieved trial victories across the United States. He has been admitted into many federal district courts and routinely gains admission into district courts by permission of the Court.
Navy and Marine Corps Trial Courts | U.S. Supreme Court | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan | U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois | 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals | 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals | 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals | 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals | 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals | 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin | U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
Notable Achievements
Secured victory at the United States Supreme Court Naum v. United States
Delivered the most significant federal criminal trial loss in Michigan against the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan
Wrote and filed an Amicus Brief before the Supreme Court for over 1,000 administrative law judges in Jarkesy v. SEC
Decorated Marine Corps Veteran with service in Afghanistan in support of the Global War on Terror
Received a Masters in Health Care Law from Loyola Law School
IN THE MEDIA
‘An American Tragedy’: How Pharmacies Built a Pill Town in Rural Tennessee, USA Today, March 27, 2022.
Doctors Prescribing Opioids in Good Faith Should Not Be Prosecuted, Scientific American February 25, 2022.
Two doctors at Crestview Hills pain clinic face federal charges for opioid prescriptions, Cincinnati Enquirer, December 8, 2021.
Doctor Wins Restraining Order Against CVS After Prescription Ban, Medscape Medical News, August 17, 2021.
Judge Sides with Pain Physician, Orders CVS to Resume Filling His Scripts, Becker’s ASC Review, August 17, 2021
Ex-Sparrow nurse: Hospital culture may lead some nurses to give drugs without doctor’s order, Lansing State Journal, July 19, 2021.
New Albany pill mill doctor given probation, forfeits $524K, The Columbus Dispatch, July 15, 2021.
Physician Convicted of Unlawful Prescription Seeks SCOTUS Review of ‘Bounds of Professional Practice,’ Law Street Media, April 23, 2021.
Falsely Accused MD: Arrested, Tried, Cleared — but Now Works in Auto Repair, Medscape, March 17, 2021
Ohio doctors suspected of sex crimes, tax evasion get stimulus cash, News 5 Cleveland, November 20, 2020.
2 West Virginia Doctors Acquitted of All Charges, India Abroad, June 25, 2019
$18 Million Healthcare Bust, Fox 2-Detroit
Judge orders $6 million returned to doctor cleared in ‘pill mill’ case, MLive, October 2, 2018
Mich. doctor acquitted of pill mill charges, The Associated Press, October 3, 2018
Jury acquits prominent doctor of overprescribing meds, MLive, October 6, 2017
Not guilty: Doc calls acquittal ‘Greatest day of my life,’ Tuscola Today, October 7, 2017
Attorneys: Feds To Drop Charges Against Pain Doctor Roland Chalifoux, The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register, November 1, 2018
Michigan doctor acquitted of pill mill charges will get assets back, Royal Oak Tribune, October 3. 2018
Federal prosecutors dismiss remaining charges against Northern Panhandle physician, West Virginia Record, November 3, 2018
How Not to Run a Pain Clinic, MedPage Today, April 30, 2019
DEA is cracking down on physicians who overprescribe pills, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 12, 2016
From Rehab to Pill Mill: Investigated for addiction in one state, now in federal prison after working in another, MedPage Today, March 1, 2018
Pompy case heads to federal court, home seized, The Monroe News, Jan. 19. 2018
ARTICLES
“How the United States Supreme Court is about to affect every prescriber in America” Lynn R. Webster, MD, Ronald W. Chapman II, JD, LLM, Stephen J. Ziegler, PhD, JD
“Defending Hippocrates: Representing Physicians in the Wake of the Opioid Epidemic,” National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ The Champion, September-October 2017
“4 Steps Every Provider Must Take Before Prescribing an Opioid,” Pain Medicine News, November 9, 2018
“Anti-Terror Tech to Fight Rx Fraud,” MedPage Today, July 12, 2018
“Responding to Government Investigations,” State Bar of Michigan, Health Care Law Section, August 2018
“New Center for Physician Rights Helps Protect, Guide Doctors” (with Pauline Anderson), Medscape, November 9, 2018
“Litigating the Loss Amount in Health Care Fraud Cases,” National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ The Champion, December 2017
“DEA Begins Targeting Off-Label Prescribing of TIRF Products,” Pain Medicine News, October 23, 2017
“Criminal Accusations Cause Health Care Professionals to Face Potentially Debilitating Collateral Consequences. Part Two” (with Patrick Barone), State Appellate Defender Office Criminal Defense Newsletter, June 2016
“DEA is Cracking Down on Physicians Who Overprescribe Pills,” interview with Rich Lord and Maia Silber, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 12, 2016
“Criminal Accusations Cause Health Care Professionals to Face Potentially Debilitating Collateral Consequences. Part One” (with Patrick Barone), State Appellate Defender Office, Criminal Defense Newsletter, June 2016
“Physician’s Guide to DEA Administrative Inspections,” Pain Medicine News, April, 18, 2016
“The Black Cloud of a Medical Board Investigation,” interview with Leigh Page, Medscape, December 23, 2015
“Top 10 Tips for Physician to Avoid Prosecution for Over-Prescribing,” AVVO, 2015
“When Prescribing Controlled Substances Becomes Drug Trafficking,” Pain Medicine News, August 2015