Co-owner of Denton pain management clinic pleads guilty to federal conspiracy charge
MARYLAND – A Georgetown woman has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and dispense oxycodone.
According to the guilty plea, from roughly 2016 through January 2021, 46-year-old Kristie Parker used her position as the owner/manager of Coastal Care Clinic to facilitate the distribution of dispensation of controlled substances, including oxycodone, by way of illegitimate prescriptions being issued to Clinic employees, family members, and sham medical “patients”. It was reported that she did so with the knowledge and assistance of the Clinic’s prescribers.
It was noted in the plea agreement that Parker routinely obtained codes needed to electronically issue prescriptions for controlled substances en mass for Clinic employees, family members of Clinic employees, and sham Clinic patients so that they could be prescribed oxycodone and other controlled substances for illegitimate purposes. Parker was allegedly aware that at least four co-conspirator employees obtained and filled prescriptions issued to themselves, pooled their pills, and sold them to another co-conspirator. Parker additionally obtained prescriptions for herself and sold the pills or provided them to others, including family members, for their illegitimate use or resale.
Parker was aware that urine toxicology screens were falsified at the Clinic and that the Clinic employees would routinely provide their own urine for urine toxicology screens that were supposed to be properly administered on patients. It was determined that these screens were falsified to cover the fact that the “patients” did not have a specific prescribed drug in their system, indicating that they were not using their pills and instead selling them or consuming them faster than the prescription allowed. It was also to cover the fact that the “patients” had illicit drugs in their system, such as heroin or cocaine, which would indicate substance abuse. For example, Parker reportedly knew that Co-Conspirator #2, a Clinic employee, was paid $100 by sham patients every time she provided her own urine for a toxicology screen.
The plea agreement mentioned that Co-Conspirator #7 would bring sham patients to the Clinic who did not have legitimate pain issues, allowing them to obtain a prescription and allow Co-Conspirator #7 to sell their pills. Parker was aware of and profited from the sham patients. To avoid scrutiny, Parker was also aware that employees created false entries in the electronic patient files of the patients associated with Co-Conspirator #7.
After the DEA paid a visit to the Clinic on December 31, 2020, Parker contacted Co-Conspirator #1, who told Parker that DEA would be back and that Parker needed to “retrofit” the patient files so that they all included sham notations about physical exams that were not performed on those patients. Parker and a co-conspirator allegedly added fake entries on several patient files as a result.
Parker faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and dispense oxycodone. As part of her plea agreement, Parker will also be required to forfeit four firearms and $1,141 in cash that was recovered from her home during a search on January 7, 2021.
Parker is scheduled to be sentenced on November 15th.
