SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Debra E. Craig, 66, of Converse, Louisiana, entered a guilty plea today before Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to one count of obtaining controlled substances by fraud.
Craig worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse Medical Assistant at the DeSoto Regional Health System in Mansfield, Louisiana, and was assigned to work with Dr. Jeffrey L. Evans.
Dr. Evans convinced Craig to illegally fill prescriptions for hydrocodone-acetaminophen on his behalf by indicating to her that he needed medication to treat pain. Dr. Evans would write prescriptions to Craig in the name of “Debbie Craig” for 100 dosage units of hydrocodone-acetaminophen 10-325 mg and would provide cash to Craig to be used to pay for the prescriptions at Mansfield Drug Company in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana. After filling the prescriptions, Craig would provide all the hydrocodone-acetaminophen to Dr. Evans. Hydrocodone-acetaminophen is a Schedule II controlled substance. One of the fraudulent prescriptions was filled at Mansfield Drug Company on September 18, 2020, and is the basis for the guilty plea entered today. The prescription was for 100 tablets of hydrocodone acetaminophen 10-325 mg, a Schedule II controlled substance.
Craig faces up to 4 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Alexander C. Van Hook, Special Counsel to the United States Attorney, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Shannon.