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Bridgette Parker, Conspiring to Dispense Fentanyl, Alabama 2023
Bridgette Parker, a nurse practitioner from Alabama, has been sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for her role in a massive pill mill operation run by Dr. Xiulu Ruan and Dr. John Patrick Couch.
According to court documents, Parker worked at Physicians Pain Specialists of Alabama, a pain clinic co-owned and operated by Dr. Ruan and Dr. Couch. After being fired by Dr. Ruan in December 2012, Parker was rehired by Dr. Couch as a nurse practitioner. During her time at the clinic, Parker knowingly and intentionally conspired to prescribe controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.
Parker’s crimes included prescribing Subsys and Abstral, brand name forms of instant release fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. She also admitted to regularly seeing patients on her own without oversight from either doctor and to frequently being impaired while seeing patients due to her own drug abuse.
In addition, Parker testified that she often went to fellow nurse practitioner and co-defendant Justin Palmer and requested that he forge Dr. Couch’s signatures on prescriptions for controlled substances.
Thanks to her substantial assistance in the prosecution of Dr. Ruan and Dr. Couch, Parker received a 50% sentence reduction recommendation from the United States. The Court accepted this recommendation and sentenced Parker to serve 20 months in federal prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Steve Butler praised Parker’s cooperation, stating, ‘The United States appreciates Ms. Parker’s substantial assistance in the prosecution of Dr. Ruan and Dr. Couch. Had she not assisted as she did, Ms. Parker would undoubtedly be spending more than 20 months in federal prison.’
The Drug Enforcement Agency also weighed in on the sentence, saying, ‘It is disheartening when trusted professionals like nurse practitioners are engaged in the diversion of controlled substances.’
This matter was jointly investigated by the DEA-Mobile and FBI-Mobile, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Bodnar and Deborah Griffin.
Key Facts
- State: Alabama
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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