Cleveland’s Louis Eppinger, 53, was handed a 12-year prison sentence for leading a lucrative prescription drug fraud ring. The operation involved obtaining blank prescriptions and forging them to obtain thousands of painkillers like Oxycontin and Percocet.
Eppinger, the mastermind behind the scheme, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft. His associates included Patricia Arnold, Anthony H. Perry, Elizabeth A. Davis, James Byrge, Judy Burrows, and Brittany N. Glass, all of whom played various roles in the distribution chain.
“We have seen a huge increase in prescription drug abuse in Ohio,” said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. “Eppinger’s case demonstrates how individuals will go to great lengths to profit from pills.”
The FBI’s Cleveland office and the Cleveland Police Department worked together to dismantle the ring. Eppinger was also ordered to repay over $21,000 in restitution for billing the Ohio Medicaid program for painkillers he wasn’t entitled to.
“The abuse of illicitly obtained prescription drugs is reaching epidemic proportions,” said Stephen Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland office. “Dismantling such networks remains a top priority.”
Eppinger’s sentence serves as a stark reminder of the consequences for those who engage in organized drug trafficking and fraud.
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Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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