Ruthia He, founder and former CEO of Done Global Inc., has been sentenced to six years in prison and fined $1 million after a federal trial found she used a telehealth platform to funnel more than 37 million Adderall pills, defraud insurers of over $12 million, and obstruct the investigation into her company’s practices.
The case centers on Done Global, a California digital mental health company that sold prescriptions through a subscription-for-prescription model and massive online advertising. Prosecutors say the company spent more than $40 million on social media ads that pushed easy access to stimulants and encouraged patients to sign up for automatic refills without real clinical oversight. Investigators say the scheme was designed to drive user growth and attract investor money, with a valuation target over $1 billion.
Evidence introduced at trial described coordinated incentives, clinical protocols, and technology features intended to short-circuit medical judgment. Executives allegedly pressured clinicians to diagnose ADHD in rushed initial visits and rewarded prescribers who issued frequent stimulant prescriptions. Some clinicians who resisted were fired or refused, while others were reportedly paid as much as $60,000 a month to sign off on prescriptions quickly.
Co-defendant David Brody, Done’s former clinical president, was sentenced separately to two years in prison and also fined $1 million. The trial showed Brody personally signed hundreds of thousands of stimulant prescriptions without reviewing patient records; prosecutors said he wrote 394,324 Schedule II stimulant pills for 6,559 Done members he never evaluated. Brody reportedly admitted that “it only [took him] 30 seconds per refill” because he never checked patients’ medical records, and he told defendant He that his dream job at Done would allow him to make money “WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO SEE OR TALK TO THE PATIENT[s].”
Officials from multiple agencies offered sharp statements after the sentencing. “Ruthia He hid behind the cloak of medicine to deceive the public, defraud health care programs, and unlawfully deal highly addictive drugs to vulnerable patients,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Ruthia He’s business model cast aside medical necessity and patient care in favor of profit and greed. Today’s sentence is a clear warning to every digital health boardroom: if you build fraud or illegal drug distribution into your growth model, the Department of Justice will find you and bring you to justice.”
U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian for the Northern District of California added, “Drug traffickers are driven by profits, not people. Whether they operate from a street corner or from a computer, the motive and the resulting harm are the same. These defendants made a choice to operate a telehealth platform that ignored medical necessity and as a result put patients at risk. Today’s sentences send an important message: Telehealth companies prescribing controlled substances must follow medical standards, prioritize patient safety, and comply with the law, and those who do not will be held responsible.”
DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said the scheme used telemedicine’s convenience to “facilitate the unlawful distribution of highly addictive stimulants, placing communities at risk and undermining legitimate patient care.” He warned that whether the operation runs from a street corner or behind a screen, enforcement will follow. The DEA’s description noted that Done’s conduct flooded communities with stimulants and eroded safeguards meant to prevent addiction and diversion.
Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of HHS‑OIG stated, “Today’s sentencing makes clear that people who use technology as a cover to push dangerous drugs and exploit federal health care programs will pay a heavy price. These defendants harmed patients, undermined clinicians, and stole taxpayer dollars. High‑tech fraud schemes are still just fraud, and HHS‑OIG will continue to work with our partners to pursue justice for victims and hold fraudsters accountable.”
Prosecutors presented evidence that the company relied on an “auto-refill” feature to minimize clinician contact after an initial diagnosis, allowing refills to be authorized with little or no follow-up. That system reportedly led to refills even during psychiatric crises, involuntary holds, and in some tragic cases after patients had died. Families and clinicians repeatedly raised safety concerns that the company allegedly ignored.
Testimony at trial included accounts from mothers who tried to stop prescriptions for their children after signs of bipolar disorder or stimulant-induced psychosis, yet the refills continued. Documents and witness statements also described efforts to evade pharmacy blocks and law enforcement scrutiny, including creating a secondary entity to route prescriptions and moving company operations and assets overseas. After receiving a grand jury subpoena, investigators say the defendant moved communications to encrypted apps, turned on disappearing messages, and deleted incriminating files.
Investigators allege the scheme also included fraudulent billing practices. Prosecutors say managers submitted false prior authorization requests claiming adherence to diagnostic standards and safety checks that were not actually performed. As a result, Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurers paid in excess of approximately $12.3 million for prescriptions linked to the scheme.
https://x.com/DOJFraudDiv/status/2074647388417892840
The defendants were convicted in November 2025 of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, multiple counts of distribution of controlled substances, and conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Ruthia He was additionally convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice. The investigation involved the DEA, HHS‑OIG, Homeland Security Investigations, and IRS Criminal Investigation, and prosecutors from the Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Unit handled the case.
