Updated: Los Gatos Doctor Accused of Illegally Furnishing Drugs in Court This Week

Los Gatos doctor Marvin Bonham, a former top administrator of Santa Clara County’s Health Plan, and housemate James Michael Schneider are scheduled to appear in Santa Clara County Superior Court at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 31 to face a multitude of drug-related felonies.

Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Daniel Rothbach said Bonham and Schneider, who are out of custody, are scheduled once again for a so-called "felony advance resoltution" hearing in Department 61 of the San Jose Hall of Justice. The men appeared in court for a similar hearing on May 28.

"It's not going to be any different than the last court appearances we've had," Rothbach said. "They're continued discussions as the case moves along ... Some cases take time for discussions to occur and make sure all the discovery is provided."

Bonham has been charged with 18 felonies alleging he traded prescriptions for powerful drugs—including Oxycontin—in return for cash and methamphetamines, according to Rothbach.

Bonham is being represented by criminal defense attorney Carol Marmorek.

"My client is a respected physician and medical administrator with many years of quality care to his patients and dedicated service to the county health system," Marmorek said in an email seeking comment. "Despite comments, we will not reciprocate and try this case in the press. We are confident that when all of the facts are placed before the court, he will be cleared of these charges."

"The criminal complaint remains the same," Rothbach said when asked if additional charges had been filed against the 61-year-old former medical director of the Valley Health Plan.

Prosecutors allege Bonham wrote more than half of his prescriptions for county residents who had criminal drug histories; offered to give minors methamphetamines; and gave them marijuana.

Schneider, 32, was arrested Oct. 19, 2012 by Santa Clara County sheriff's deputies and faces three drug-related felonies that include marijuana cultivation, felony possession of marijuana/hash for sale and felony conspiracy to commit crime.

On Oct. 3, 2012 officers served a search warrant at Bonham's hillside estate in Los Gatos located at 14704 Shannon Road and found weapons, sale quantities of methamphetamine, marijuana, ecstasy and a marijuana grow room in the crawl space under his estate, prosecutors say.

The men are being tried together and will appear before Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Javier Alcala.

The next step for the case is the setting of a preliminary hearing or the taking of a plea, Rothbach explained.

The case against Bonham is the result of a multi-agency probe, spearheaded by the Attorney General’s Santa Clara County Specialized Enforcement Team, entitled “Operation Oxy Exchange.”

The charges against Bonham include: possession of methamphetamine for sale, prescribing without legitimate medical purpose, prescribing to addicts, possession of psilocybin mushrooms, possession of ecstasy and possession of marijuana for sale.

Bonham is out of custody on $1 million bail. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.