Ronald W. Chapman, II

Top rated Criminal Defense attorney in Detroit, Michigan

Chapman, Dowling & Mallek
Ronald W. Chapman, II
Chapman, Dowling & Mallek

Practice areas: Criminal Defense, Health Care

Licensed in Michigan since: 2009

Education: Loyola University Chicago School of Law

Selected to Super Lawyers: 2024 - 2026 Selected to Rising Stars: 2015 - 2023
Free Consultation

Chapman, Dowling & Mallek

456 E Milwaukee St
Detroit, MI 48202 Phone: 346-242-7626 Email: Ronald W. Chapman, II Visit website

150 Acquitted Federal Counts \ $550 Million Saved for Clients

“One of the most talented attorneys I have seen in my 20 years on the bench”

Federal Judge 

"The largest acquittal in Detroit in the last 10 years" 

Detroit Free Press

From the United States Supreme Court to Federal Districts, Ron Has Achieved Acquittal Despite Overwhelming Odds

Ron’s track record of federal trial acquittals is simply unmatched. Ron formed SHG to help health care providers avoid federal criminal scrutiny. As a result of the tireless dedication of the best health care experts in the country, Ron has prevented over $550 million in government overpayments, fines, and forfeitures.

From the War on Terror to the War on Opioids

Ron cut his teeth in Federal Investigations during the Global War on Terror for the United States Marine Corps. As a Marine Corps Officer and Lawyer, he conducted high-level federal gun, drug, and terrorism investigations. He returned home and applied his skills to the defense of healthcare providers facing federal investigations, prosecutions, and False Claims Act cases. For the last decade, Ron has racked up a list of trial acquittals, dismissals, and non-prosecutions that lead the nation.

Through the diligent presentation of his client’s case and exacting attention to detail he has earned the respect of fellow defense counsel and federal judges, one of whom commented he was the best he’s seen “in 20 years on the bench”.

Unmatched Trial Results and Acquittals in High-Profile Cases

He achieved an acquittal in a $550 million healthcare fraud and 56 count drug trafficking and healthcare fraud indictment against five physicians who were accused of distributing 13 Million doses of Oxycodone. That same year he acquitted Dr. Lesly Pompy a former Cleveland Clinic Physician accused of over $12 million in healthcare fraud and unlawful prescribing. Shortly after he achieved the dismissal of Dr. Thomas Sachy who was accused in a Federal Indictment in Georgia of killing two patients by prescribing Oxycodone. In addition, he acquitted two Kentucky physicians in separate trials against the Department of Justice’s Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Task Force (ARPO). Both physicians were separately charged with unlawful prescribing and healthcare fraud. Both were fully acquitted and will return to practice.

Ron is a frequent guest on national news networks including the BBC, Fox News, Newsnation and Newsmax as well as podcasts.

First Admitted: 2009, Michigan

Bar / Professional Activity

  • Michigan State Bar Administrative Law Section
  • The Marine Corps League 
  • Michigan State Bar Criminal Law Section 

Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)

Videos

  • The primary theme of this discussion focuses on the legal and regulatory challenges facing physicians who prescribe controlled substances, particularly pain management providers. Throughout the conversation, recurring topics include DEA investigations, healthcare compliance, physician legal defense, opioid prescribing regulations, chronic pain treatment, medical record documentation, and risk management for healthcare providers., How the DOJ Affects Doctors AND Patients, with Claudia Merandi: Health Care Hot Topics, Health Care, Criminal Law, 2020
  • A US jury just awarded $6 million against Meta and Google for deliberately designing addictive platforms. Federal criminal defense attorney Ron Chapman joined GB News to break down what that verdict actually unlocks — and why Section 230 couldn't protect Big Tech this time. The judgment succeeded by using a products liability theory. With that framework now established, plaintiffs' lawyers have a roadmap and hundreds of similar lawsuits are likely to follow. Ron also weighs in on the UK government's proposed restrictions on social media for under-16s and why the real question is whether governments can hold companies accountable for how their algorithms were built., Social Media Addiction Just Became a Legal Liability | GB News, Product Liability, 2026
  • Black built one of the largest private equity firms on earth and became a billionaire doing it. He also wired nine figures to a convicted sex offender for what his lawyers call tax and estate advice. The House Oversight Committee wants to know why, and it has subpoenaed both his testimony and the nondisclosure agreements he signed. He walks through the money. There are the service payments routed through an Epstein-affiliated Virgin Islands entity. There is $30.5 million in loans tied to an art deal. There are eight-figure donations to an Epstein charity, and a $62.5 million settlement Black paid the U.S. Virgin Islands. He looks at what a law firm hired by Apollo actually found, and what the Senate Finance Committee says it missed. Then he gets into the law underneath it. Why the missing contracts and invoices matter more than the size of the payments. How tax characterization can turn a service fee into real exposure. What Congress can still compel if Black takes the Fifth. So far, this billionaire has faced congressional subpoenas and no indictment, and Ron explains what that tells us., Leon Black Paid Epstein $158 Million. Congress Wants Answers., Criminal Investigations, Criminal Defense, 2026
  • Flock Safety's license plate reader network has spread to over 5,000 cities, tracking vehicles with no warrant required. Federal criminal defense attorney Ron Chapman examines the Flock camera surveillance system, the Fourth Amendment questions surrounding it, and the wave of cities now ripping these cameras out., Flock Cameras: What Your City Isn't Telling You, Civil Rights, Criminal Defense, 2026
  • What began as a memoir controversy has become one of the most stunning reversals in modern Washington. John Bolton—the same man who once said Edward Snowden “ought to swing from a tall oak tree”—now stands indicted on 18 federal counts under the Espionage Act. Prosecutors allege he kept hundreds of Top Secret/SCI pages, shared them with relatives over Gmail, and exposed the United States’ most sensitive intelligence to an Iranian-linked hack. In this episode of Off Air, federal criminal defense attorney and former Marine Prosecutor Ron Chapman breaks down how Bolton’s “book” defense collapsed, why §793(d) and (e) are among the most serious national-security charges short of treason, and how the Iranian cyber-intrusion changed everything. From covert-action details and SIGINT leaks to family “editors” without clearances, this case may redefine what it means to betray America’s secrets., John Bolton Spying? New Evidence Revealed, Criminal Defense, 2025
  • The Department of Justice presented this as one coordinated takedown. A single message. A deterrent. But when you look inside the cases, much of the machinery is Medicare enrollment language, billing certifications, medical necessity standards, and anti-kickback rules that providers struggle to follow. Ron walks through how the Healthcare Fraud Unit's Data Fusion Center combines analytics across HHS, the FBI, and other agencies, and how prosecutors now deploy advanced algorithms inside the CMS data repository. He explains why one Illinois case moved from review to arrest in a timeline that almost never happens in federal prosecutions, and what that speed reveals about how these cases get built. He also examines the wound care prosecutions driving much of this effort, the $906 million case involving terminally ill patients, and the pressure that strips providers of their licenses and billing privileges long before a jury ever hears the evidence. He draws on his own experience handling some of the largest healthcare fraud cases in the country, including matters referenced in the DOJ's own announcements., How the DOJ Turned Billing Data Into a $6.5 Billion Takedown, Healthcare Fraud, Healthcare Law, Criminal Defense, 2024
  • The content is centered on helping healthcare providers prevent, respond to, and defend against allegations of Medicare fraud, Medicaid fraud, insurance fraud, kickbacks, false claims, and other federal healthcare crimes. Rather than focusing solely on criminal defense after an investigation begins, the transcript consistently emphasizes compliance programs, internal investigations, self-disclosure, risk mitigation, and early legal intervention as the best strategies for avoiding federal prosecution. It also highlights the importance of experienced healthcare fraud attorneys who understand CMS regulations, healthcare billing requirements, medical necessity standards, federal healthcare programs, and the complexities of defending providers against investigations by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Inspector General (OIG), FBI, and other federal agencies., Health Care Fraud 101, Health Care, Criminal Law, 2020

Educational Background

  • Oakland University, B.A., 2006
  • Naval Justice School, 2010

Scholarly Lectures / Writings

  • Panel discussion surrounding the issue of whether physicians can be convicted for unlawful distribution of Controlled Substances if they believe the drugs they prescribed were prescribed under professional norms., Panelist, Panel Discussion: Xiulu Ruan v. United States of America, American Conference Institute, 2022
  • Letter to the Editor About How the Outcome of Ruan v. United States Will Affect Prescribers., Co-Author, How the U.S. Supreme Court is About to Affect Every Prescriber in America, Journal of Opioid Management 18:3, 2022
  • Presentation at FPA's Annual Law Conference about to handle State and DEA inspections., Presenter, How to Prepare and Respond to State and DEA Inspections and Medicaid Audits, Florida Pharmacy Association, 2021
  • Building, Maintaining, and Evolving in a Highly Regulated Area, Presenter, Building an Ironclad Compliance Program, American Conference Institute, 2021
  • Discuss of Why Prosecutors Choose the Health Care Fraud Statue Again and Again, Presenter, Health Care Fraud Statue vs. False Claims Act, National Alliance of Medical Auditing Specialists, 2021
  • Discussion of pandemic lessons learned in 2020 and provide the practical guidance providers need to move forward. Examine major issues such as the explosion of telemedicine and the latest in hospital mergers and acquisitions (M&As). Dive into cybersecurity and remote practice implications. Plus, get updates on state and federal regulations, fraud and abuse, and Stark., Presenter, Current Trends in Health Care Fraud & Abuse Enforcement, Institute of Continuing Legal Education - Health Law Institute, 2021
  • Tailoring inspection strategies for every link of the supply chain., Presenter, DEA Site Visit Checklist, American Conference Institute, 2020
  • Building and Enhancing an Effective Controlled Substances Compliance Program, Presenter, Compliance Think Tank, American Conference Institute, 2020
  • Introduction to the Fundamentals of Prescribing Controlled Substances., Presenter, Controlled Substances Bootcamp, American Conference Institute, 2018
  • Discussion of Brest Practices, Guidelines, and Regulations., Presenter, Principles for Safe Opioid Prescribing, Michigan State Medical Society, 2017
  • CME Webinar., Presenter, Protect Yourself and Your License: DEA Compliance and Opioid Abuse, Urgent Care Association of America, 2017
  • Author, Defending Hippocrates: Representing Physicians in the Wake of the Opioid Epidemic, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ The Champion, 2017
  • Preparing for and Defending Regulatory Investigations, Michigan Medical Society Spring Conference, 2016
  • Criminal Accusations Cause Health Care Professionals to Face Potentially Debilitating Collateral Consequences, State Appellate Defender Office, Criminal Defense Newsletter, Health Care Law, 2016
  • Interviewee, DEA Is Cracking Down On Physicians Who Overprescribe Pills, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Health Care, 2016
  • Evidence-Based Best Practice for Opioid Prescribing and Monitoring: Medicolegal Pain Management Expert Symposium, International Conference on Opioids, Journal of Opioid Management, Harvard Medical Conference Center, 2016
  • Physician’s Guide to DEA Administrative Inspections, Pain Medicine News, 2016
  • The Black Cloud of a Medical Board Investigation, Medscape, 2015
  • Responsible Opioid Prescribing and Monitoring for Pain Management: Evidence-Based Best Practice, Michigan State Medical Society’s 150th Annual Scientific Meeting, 2015
  • The shifting sands of opioid prescription here in the US and around the globe combined with the pandemic have made it challenging to plan our next conference. That said, we appreciate the daily calls to our office inquiring about this conference. The support is gratifying and it confirms there is definite need for a serious conference on opioids. We need your help. Please take a couple of minutes and jot down three items. First, what concept, skill or theme would you like us to focus our next conference on? Second, where do you see the field of opioid prescription in the next 5 years? Third, would you be interested in joining a conference committee to bring forth the next event?  Please send your notes to the Journal of Opioid Management e-mail box at jom (at) pnpco (dot) com.  Your input is critical and thank you for your dedication., When Prescribing Controlled Substances Becomes Drug Trafficking, Pain Medicine News, Consulting, Therapy, Policy, 2015
  • Top 10 Tips for Physician to Avoid Prosecution for Over Prescribing, AVVO, 2015

Other Outstanding Achievements

  • Navy Achievement Medal
  • Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal

Honors

  • Michigan Rising Star in the area of Health Law, Rising Star - Health Law, Super Lawyers, 2022
  • Michigan Rising Star in the area of Health Law, Rising Star - Health Law, Super Lawyers, 2020
  • Michigan Rising Star in the area of Health Law, Rising Star - Health Law, Super Lawyers, 2021
  • Up & Coming Lawyers, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, 2015
  • Top 10 Criminal Defense Attorney Under 40, National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys, 2015
  • Navy Achievement Medal, U.S. Marine Corps, 2013: Ron was awarded the navy achievement medal for his work as an operational law officer for II MEF the expeditionary force occupying the east coast of the U.S. Ron worked on high level Federal investigations, coordinated closely with ICE, NCIS, the FBI, and various narcotics units. Additionally, Ron created a course designed to instruct other Marine Officers regarding operational law issues prior to deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq. 
  • Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, U.S. Marine Corps, 2012: Ron was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps commendation medal for his work in Afghanistan as a battalion judge advocate working with Marines during a highly kinetic counter insurgency campaign. Ron also was the officer in charge of a detention facility that housed suspected insurgents.

Industry Groups

  • All Health Care Professionals:
  • Ambulatory Surgical Centers
  • Chiropractors
  • Correctional Healthcare Providers
  • Dentists
  • Health Care Facilities
  • Home Health Agencies
  • Hospitals
  • Mental Health Professionals
  • Nurses
  • Ophthalmologists
  • Optometrists
  • Pain Clinics
  • Pharmacies
  • Pharmacists
  • Physicians
  • Professional Liability Insurers
  • Skilled Nursing Facilities
  • Veterinarians

Office location for Ronald W. Chapman, II

456 E Milwaukee St
Detroit, MI 48202

Selections

3 Years Super Lawyers
9 Years Rising Stars
  • Super Lawyers: 2024 - 2026
  • Rising Stars: 2015 - 2023

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