Total Men's Primary Care and Physician Agree to Up to $600,000 in Civil Penalties Over Alleged Controlled Substances Act Violations
Last updated 2026-10-31 · Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas (DOJ), July 24, 2026
A Texas men's health clinic group and its DEA-registered physician agreed to a consent judgment of up to $600,000 over alleged recordkeeping and Schedule II e-prescribing violations.
What this means for your practice
This enforcement action serves as a crucial reminder for all healthcare businesses—including telehealth providers, medspas, dental practices, and chiropractic offices that handle controlled substances—of the stringent compliance obligations under the Controlled Substances Act. Practices must ensure robust internal controls, proper record-keeping, and strict adherence to federal prescribing guidelines to avoid significant civil penalties and potential professional consequences. The focus on a DEA-registered physician highlights individual accountability alongside corporate responsibility.
On July 24, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas announced that Total MD Physicians Group, P.L.L.C., doing business as Total Men's Primary Care, and Dr. Mason Jones have agreed to a consent judgment requiring them to pay up to $600,000 in civil penalties for alleged violations of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Dr. Jones is a physician registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to handle controlled substances at several Total Men's Primary Care clinics in the Austin area.
What DOJ alleged
According to the release, the settlement resolves allegations that the clinic group and Dr. Jones:
- failed to comply with certain CSA recordkeeping requirements, and
- electronically signed and transmitted prescriptions for a Schedule II controlled substance without a doctor/patient relationship.
DEA identified these violations after onsite inspections in 2023 of three Total Men's Primary Care locations, in Austin, Bee Cave and Cedar Park. DEA's San Antonio Division led the investigation.
The release states that the claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and that there has been no determination of liability.
Registrations and payment terms
- Registrations retired: in 2024, while DEA's investigation was pending, Dr. Jones voluntarily retired fourteen DEA certificates of registration tied to Total Men's Primary Care locations in Austin, Hutto, Round Rock, Georgetown, New Braunfels, San Marcos, Kyle and Cedar Park.
- Registrations surrendered for cause: he later surrendered four more DEA registrations for cause.
- Payment: the consent judgment is for up to $600,000. Under the civil settlement agreement, the clinic group and Dr. Jones can satisfy that obligation by paying the government $300,000 within 12 months.
What this means for multi-location telehealth and wellness operators
- Registrations multiply with locations. One physician retired fourteen DEA registrations tied to the group's clinic sites and surrendered four more, after DEA inspected three locations. A group that adds locations or states needs a current register of every DEA registration, who holds it and where.
- Electronic prescribing does not create the relationship. The allegation was that Schedule II prescriptions were e-signed and sent without a doctor/patient relationship. Every controlled-substance prescription needs a documented evaluation behind it by the prescriber who signs it, whether the visit is in person or by telemedicine.
- Recordkeeping is its own violation. The recordkeeping allegation stands next to the prescribing one. Inventories, receipt and dispensing records belong in a scheduled internal audit, not only in preparation for an inspection.
- Know your prescribers' DEA status. Four registrations here ended in surrender for cause. MSOs and clinic groups should verify, and periodically re-check, the DEA registration status of every prescriber they work with.
Key facts
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Parties | Total MD Physicians Group, P.L.L.C. (d/b/a Total Men's Primary Care) and Dr. Mason Jones |
| Announced | July 24, 2026, U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas |
| Alleged violations | CSA recordkeeping failures; e-prescribing a Schedule II controlled substance without a doctor/patient relationship |
| Found by | DEA onsite inspections in 2023 (Austin, Bee Cave, Cedar Park) |
| Consent judgment | Up to $600,000 in civil penalties |
| Settlement terms | Obligation satisfied by paying $300,000 within 12 months |
| DEA registrations | 14 voluntarily retired (2024); 4 surrendered for cause |
| Liability | Allegations only; no determination of liability |
Frequently asked questions
What were the alleged violations?
Failing to comply with certain CSA recordkeeping requirements, and electronically signing and transmitting prescriptions for a Schedule II controlled substance without a doctor/patient relationship.
How much will they pay?
The consent judgment is for up to $600,000. The settlement lets them satisfy it by paying $300,000 within 12 months.
Was liability found?
No. The release says the claims are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas: Total Men's Primary Care and Dr. Mason Jones Agree to Pay Up to $600,000 in Civil Penalties for Alleged Violations of the Controlled Substances Act · July 24, 2026