St. Louis County doctor pleads guilty to fraudulently obtaining opioid narcotic prescription drugs
ST. LOUIS – Angela K. Williams, M.D., 34, of Brentwood, Missouri, pleaded guilty today to one felony charge of fraudulently obtaining oxycodone, a narcotic opioid prescription drug.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division, the Florissant Police Department, the Town and Country Police Department, and the St. John Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Narcotic and Dangerous Drugs of the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Missouri Attorney General’s office, and the St. Louis County, Missouri Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
According to the plea agreement, Dr. Williams wanted to obtain prescription drugs that contained controlled substances for her own personal use, outside the bounds of professional medical practice and not for legitimate medical purposes. Accordingly, Dr. Williams used her own prescription pad to write and sign numerous prescriptions for controlled substances using other persons’ names, including prescriptions for the narcotic opioid pain relief drugs hydrocodone and oxycodone. Dr. Williams then went to the pharmacies and presented the prescriptions for the drugs, posing as a patient. Dr. Williams also fraudulently used another doctor’s prescription pad, name, and Drug Enforcement Administration number to write herself some additional controlled substance prescriptions.
“The DEA Diversion Control Program’s purpose is to maintain the integrity of the supply chain of prescription drugs to the American public,” said DEA St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge William Callahan. “The diversion of prescription drugs outside the bounds of professional medical practice puts the supply chain at risk. This case showcases the far-reaching impact of opioid abuse and its destructive power.”
Dr. Williams pled guilty before Chief United States District Court Judge Rodney W. Sippel. Sentencing has been set for April 23, 2020. Dr. Williams’s crime carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
