Washington Doctor Admits Running 'Pill Mill' 

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A former Richland doctor admitted to putting highly addictive pain pills into the hands of hundreds of strangers by giving blank, but pre-signed, prescription forms to her office manager.

Janet S. Arnold told a federal judge she prescribed medications like fentanyl and oxycodone without knowing who would get the drugs.

She admitted there was no legitimate medical reason for allowing Danielle C. Mata to have free rein over her prescription pad, instead of taking time herself to review the patients' records and meeting with them at her Desert Wind Family Practice.

Mata — described by Senior Judge Ed Shea as both a drug addict and a drug dealer — is one of four other defendants in the case that's been pending for three years.

Arnold was the last to plead guilty for her role in the pill mill operation. She was set for trial later this month in U.S. District Court in Richland.

Last week, she admitted to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances "outside the usual course of (her) professional practice."

The opioid pain medications included fentanyl, oxycodone, methadone, hydromorphone, methylphenidate and amphetamine mixture, along with carisoprodol and alprazolam.

At one point during the hour-long hearing, Judge Shea asked if Arnold was aware there was a high probability her co-defendants were distributing controlled substances, and that she deliberately avoided learning the truth.

"I should have known that, yes, your honor," she replied.

Shea noted that this is not a "standard street drug dealer (or) drug trafficking organization. This is a medical practice violation that results in a ... conspiracy charge."

Her sentencing is set for Dec. 7. That's when federal prosecutors will dismiss 64 other counts of distribution and attempted distribution charges.

Arnold faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, though prosecutors said they will recommend a sentence toward the bottom of the sentencing range of about nine years.

The 63-year-old Benton City woman remains out of custody until then.

DEA raid

Desert Wind Family Practice at 431 Wellsian Way was raided by Drug Enforcement Administration agents in May 2017.



Arnold owned and operated the practice and had been a doctor since 1998.

Her medical license was suspended the following month and then, in March 2018, her license was revoked by the state as the federal criminal investigation into her practice was ongoing.

Arnold was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2018.

Also indicted were: Mata, 44, of Richland; David Barnes Nay, 43, of Kennewick; Lisa M. Cooper, 55, of Prosser; and Jennifer C. Prichard, 46, of Prosser.

They have previously pleaded guilty to charges related to conspiring to distribute and possess opioid pain medications and other controlled substances with intent to distribute them.

Their sentencing hearings are scheduled in October and November.

'Abandoned her role'

"Dr. Arnold abandoned her role as a medical doctor by essentially turning over her prescription pad to her office manager and others," Joseph H. Harrington, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, said in a news release.

"(Her) guilty plea should serve as a warning to all medical professionals that if you abuse your medical license by prescribing opioids and other drugs without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice, you will be held accountable."

He commended agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Health & Human Services' Office of the Inspector General for their work on the case.

Federal prosecutors say Arnold pre-signed the blank prescription forms from about March 2016 until early May 2017.

The forms then were given to Mata, Prichard and Cooper, who gave the illegal prescriptions to people or used them personally to get their drug of choice from area pharmacies.

Mata was responsible for filling in each prescription with the patient's name, drug type, dosage and quantity, according to Harrington's news release.

"Dr. Arnold's practice of pre-signing blank prescription forms enabled the conspirators, including Nay, a drug dealer and addict, to distribute significant quantities of opioid medications and other controlled substances," the release said.

As part of the plea agreement, Arnold waived her right to appeal the conviction or sentence.