A St. Joseph doctor will lose is medical license due to felonious acts.

Berrien County Prosecutor Michael Sepic announced that Dr. Craig Sherwood, a St. Joseph podiatrist, 65 of St. Joseph, has pled no contest today to 10 felony counts, five counts of diverting opioids (Delivery of Schedule 2 controlled substances) and two counts of health care fraud.

The delivery counts are 20-year maximums and the fraud counts are four-year maximums.  Dr. Sherwood has started the process of giving up his DEA license, which authorizes a doctor to issue prescriptions.

His Michigan medical license and medical practice will be terminated as of Dec. 31.

In a plea agreement, the prosecutor’s office has agreed not to charge additional counts of the same charges, not pursue other medical related offenses and has agreed that his sentence not include incarceration.

The investigation by the South West Enforcement Team found Sherwood, between 2014 and 2016, wrote prescriptions in the name of family members who were not patients of his and to patients who were encouraged to bring in unused portions of filled prescriptions back to Dr. Sherwood. In addition, many of the prescriptions were paid by private insurance.

The investigation did not produce evidence Sherwood was selling opioids or that anyone suffered from an opioid overdose.

Sherwood is free on bond pending his sentencing scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 11.

The Southwest Enforcement Team is comprised of sworn law enforcement personnel from the Michigan State Police, Berrien County Sheriff’s Office, Barry County Sheriff’s Office, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office, Covert Police Department, Kalamazoo Township Police Department and South Haven Police Department.

SWET is funded in part by the Michigan High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area as well as the U.S. Department of Justice, Byrne JAG grant.