Lifetime NAFUSA member John Brownlee and members of his prosecution team are depicted in the Emmy award-winning Hulu miniseries Dopesick for their investigation and prosecution of Purdue Pharma in 2007 for the misleading branding of the opioid OxyContin, an addictive pain killing medication. The miniseries explores the beginning of the opioid crisis and its development through the Grand Jury investigation led by John and two AUSAs in his office from the perspective of Purdue Pharma, the company that aggressively marketed OxyContin, the lawyers and government officials who investigated the misleading branding of the drug, and the doctors and patients impacted.

Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty again in 2021 to criminal charges brought by the Department of Justice related to defrauding federal health agencies and violating anti-kickback laws. A six billion dollar civil settlement was reached earlier this year in a case brought against Purdue Pharma by 23 state Attorneys General and roughly 2000 local governments.

John served as United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia under George W. Bush from 2001-2008.