A Central Texas doctor whose son died of an accidental overdose has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison in a drug case.

A federal judge in Austin on Monday sentenced Dr. David James Jacoby.

The 63-year-old physician in April pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Prosecutors say the case involved distribution of hydrocodone.

The defense has said Jacoby is a recovering drug addict whose medical license was suspended last year.

The body of 24-year-old Brandon Jacoby was discovered in late 2010 in the home he shared with his father. The son was on probation for a drug crime. Investigators say the emergency room doctor wrote unlawful prescriptions to people who knew his son and the scam resulted in the death.