Former Opioid Execs Ask For Fifth Sentencing Delay
Two convicted Insys Therapeutics Inc. executives on Tuesday asked a federal judge to delay the start of their prison terms until after the new year.
Michael Gurry and Sunrise Lee are two of the five higher-ups of the Chandler-based company who were convicted in a scheme to bribe doctors to over-prescribe the company's addictive fentanyl-based opioid spray, Subsys. But they haven't yet begun their prison sentences.
The executives have had their sentences delayed four times already — and are now asking for a fifth delay — saying because of COVID-19, they should not have to go to prison. A U.S. District Court judge sentenced Gurry to 33 months in prison and Lee to a year. The delay filing says 278 inmates and staff at the facility where they were to report had tested positive for COVID-19.
Gurry, 56, and Lee, 40, both suffer from asthma, the motion says, which increases the chance of serious complications should they contract the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Lee also said she would like to be home for the holidays with her 13-year-old son.
Federal prosecutors said they would agree to pushing the report dates back to Nov. 30, but no further, according to a joint motion filed by Gurry and Lee. In a separate filing, the government agreed to delay the start of the prison terms of Insys founder John Kapoor and former vice presidents Rich Simon and Joe Rowan until Nov. 30.
