Newport News, VA – In a shocking turn of events, Donna Byrd Talley, 54, of Yorktown, has been sentenced to five years in prison for her role in a hydrocodone trafficking scheme that spanned over nine years.
According to court records, Talley, the long-time office manager for Dr. Steven Becker, a Hampton dentist, used her position to fraudulently obtain over 100,000 pills of hydrocodone from two dental supply companies between 2002 and 2011.
Talley distributed the hydrocodone to her husband and others, using it to feed her own addiction. In 2011, she made various cash deposits to bank accounts she owned or controlled in amounts over $7,000.
On August 18, 2011, investigators with the Virginia Department of Health Professions and the Virginia State Police interviewed Talley, who admitted to ordering hydrocodone. Later that same day, an investigator recovered a pill bottle containing hydrocodone from Talley’s residence, matching shipments of hydrocodone ordered by Talley and received by Dr. Becker’s office two days earlier.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Richmond District Office Diversion Unit.
Talley was convicted at trial on charges of acquiring or obtaining a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and mail fraud. U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis presided over the trial.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced the sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian J. Samuels and Megan M. Cowles prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:16-cr-21.
Related Federal Cases
- Lacole Manley, Drug Trafficking, Virginia 2000 · North Carolina
- Derrick Patrick Bernard, Jr., Drug Trafficking, Conspiracy, Possession of Firearms, Virginia 2023 · Virginia
- Shawn Lemont McClain, Heroin Trafficking, West Virginia 2014 · Virginia
- Crystal Renee Severson, Skimming Fees, West Virginia 2022 · Virginia
- Jeffrey Phares, Wire Fraud, West Virginia 2023 · Virginia
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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