United States Drug Enforcement Administration

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Heather Morgan, 28, of Maryville, Tenn., was sentenced to serve 18 months in federal prison by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, Chief U.S. District Judge on Oct. 13.  Upon her release from prison, Morgan will serve a two year period of supervised release.   

Morgan pleaded guilty to a federal grand jury indictment charging her with making false statements to a federal law enforcement agent.  She admitted to lying to law enforcement regarding the location of customer files during the investigation of the Breakthrough Pain Management (Breakthrough) in Maryville, Tenn. 

The co-owners of Breakthrough, along with two family members, were previously convicted for their roles in operating the pain clinic and are currently serving prison terms. The pain clinic ceased operations after raids at several locations by federal and local law enforcement agents in December 2010, when agents seized significant quantities of prescription narcotic pain pills, firearms, and nearly $700,000 in cash.

The investigation into the pill mill case was the collaborative effort of several law enforcement agencies including the Internal Revenue Service, Fifth Judicial Drug Task Force, and Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States. 

The DEA encourages parents, along with their children, to educate themselves about the dangers of legal and illegal drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.justthinktwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com and www.dea.gov.