KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An anesthesiologist at a Lee’s Summit, Mo., hospital pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally taking prescription fentanyl from the hospital. Roman Peplinski, 37, of Kansas City, Mo., waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to...

ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis County, Missouri pediatrician was indicted Wednesday and accused of prescribing pain pills and other controlled substances in exchange for sex acts or cash. The indictment charges Craig A. Spiegel, 67, with 17 counts of illegal distribution of controlled substances and six counts of making...

ST. LOUIS – Two doctors from the St. Louis area were indicted Wednesday and accused of illegally administering ketamine to patients and fraudulently billing Medicare for certain services related to a psychiatric clinic. Dr. Asim Muhammad Ali, 53, and Dr. Mohd Azfar Malik, 70, were each indicted on 22 felony...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An Ozark, Mo., woman has been convicted following a bench trial of illegally providing prescriptions to patients at Ozark Community Hospital Christian County Clinic. Kimberly G. Hoffer, 51, was found guilty following a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough on July 19, 2023. The...

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A Kansas City, Kansas, company entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal government to pay $250,000 to resolve allegations that a retail pharmacy it owns violated the civil provisions of the Controlled Substances Act. Four B. Corporation, doing business as Balls Food Stores, owns...

ST. LOUIS – A woman who worked for a pet food company in Montgomery City, Missouri, admitted fraudulently obtaining pain pills meant for animals on Friday. Mackenzie Noel Deeker, 39, of Montgomery County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk to a felony count of...

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 18 months in prison and his nursing license forfeited after stealing controlled substances from his employer. According to court documents, in March 2021, Alec Ramirez, 32, of Overland Park, Kan., removed vials of fentanyl and hydromorphone from an automated dispensing...

ST. LOUIS - A doctor admitted on Friday that he diluted methadone that was dispensed in a St. Francois County, Missouri, methadone clinic in 2021. Dr. Sunil G. Chand, 59, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk to one count of adulterating a drug with the...

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - PharmScript of KS, LLC, a long-term care pharmacy in Lenexa, Kansas, has agreed to pay $3 million to resolve allegations that it violated federal law by dispensing controlled substances to residents in nursing and long-term care facilities without valid prescriptions and that the company was wrongfully...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., physician pleaded guilty in federal court today to providing false information in order to receive Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to which she was not entitled. Heather D. Stelling, 55, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge...