Vet Office Manager Charged in Painkiller Fraud Case
Monday, March 14th, 2011
One office manager brought her painkiller addiction to work with her – and then she allegedly brought thousands of painkillers home from work. Kathryn Watters has been brought up on criminal charges for ordering almost 6000 hydrocodone pills through the veterinary clinic where she works. According to the complaint filed at the local court house, Watters divided the pills between her and her boyfriend, and her boyfriend sold the drugs on the street.
How did she pull it off? Well, given the fact that she has been brought up on charges, not very subtly. She is said to have placed 11 orders over a three-month period. When each order arrived at the clinic, she is accused of destroying the invoice and putting the painkillers in her car.
Part of what gave her away was the fact that that veterinary clinic that Watters worked for did not use the hydrocodone pills that the office manager ordered. An associate veterinarian found 10 bottles of hydrocodone in a shipment at the beginning of February and alerted the appropriate authorities.
But the crime of stealing prescription pills isn’t the only thing on Watters’ arrest sheet. She is also accused of forging $4500 worth of checks from the clinic’s bank account and making them out to herself.
According to the report, Watters does not deny any of the claims. In fact, she says that is addicted to hydrocodone and “was not thinking right.”
Given the fact that she is facing 11 counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and five counts of forgery, it will be interesting to see whether or not the judge sentences her to drug addiction treatment or to jail. These two offenses – possession by any means of a controlled substance and fraud – are the two most common charges among women in prison.
But depending upon her history with the law and the state’s laws on drug rehab as a potential sentence, she may very well be given the opportunity to wipe the slate clean by attending a hydrocodone rehab. She is not charged with violence of any kind, which would preclude her from inclusion into a drug rehab sentence in most states. If offered prescription painkiller rehab has a sentence, she will need to stick closely to what is demanded of her by her probation officer and the rehab. Should she successfully complete the program as ordered, remain drug-free, check in with her probation officer as required, and commit no more crimes, she may be eligible to petition the court to wipe her record clean.
In the end, getting caught for her alleged crimes may be a blessing in disguise. Many are forced to criminally procure multiple prescriptions for painkillers or purchase drugs on the street in order to maintain their hydrocodone addiction. If that describes you or someone you love, don’t wait for a judge to order you to get the addiction help that you need. Contact us today to find out more about enrolling in our prescription drug rehab and avoid standing in front of a judge tomorrow.









