Case Explained: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. SCOTT ANDREW HOLLINGTON

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Filed: 2026-08-11 Docket: 3:22-cr-00141-TJC-PDB-1 The eleventh-circuit affirmed Scott Hollington’s convictions for unlawfully prescribing controlled substances and obstruction of justice, as well as his 144-month prison sentence. The court held that sufficient evidence supported the convictions under a de novo standard of review. For the drug charges, the court applied the standard that prescribing controlled substances outside the “usual course of professional practice” or for no “legitimate medical purpose” violates 21 U.S.C. § 841. Relying on *United States v. Heaton*, the court found it common sense that exchanging prescriptions for sex falls outside professional practice, and sufficient evidence showed Hollington prescribed amphetamine to a patient without reviewing records or performing physical exams. Regarding obstruction of justice under 18 U.S.C. § 1503(a), the court determined there was sufficient evidence that Hollington knowingly altered medical records of undercover officers after his indictment to impede the administration of justice. On sentencing, the court applied an abuse of discretion standard to review the reasonableness of the sentence under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). The court found no procedural error in the district court’s decision to impose an upward variance from the advisory guideline range of 30 to 37 months, noting the court adequately explained that the guidelines failed to account for Hollington’s sexual misconduct with patients. Substantively, the sentence was reasonable because Hollington was not similarly situated to other physicians who received lesser sentences, as he committed sexual assault rather than merely engaging in sexual relationships. The court also rejected arguments regarding disparities with state sentences and the government’s sentencing recommendation, affirming that district courts are not bound by party recommendations. As a practical consequence, Hollington’s convictions and sentence remain in effect; he will serve 144 months of imprisonment consecutively to his existing three-year state sentence. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.