Owner of opioid addiction clinic pleads guilty to illegal distribution
The owner of a Washington-based opioid addiction clinic pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to three counts of aiding and abetting unlawful distribution of controlled substances and health care fraud.
Jennifer Hess, 50, of Washington, was founder and owner of Redirections Treatment Advocates, which had offices in Washington and Bridgeville and Morgantown, Weirton and Moundsville, W.Va.
In connection with the guilty plea, Hess aided and abetted the illegal distribution of Suboxone, a drug used to treat addicts, by completing blank pre-signed prescriptions and/or forging doctors’ names on blank prescriptions.
Hess also committed health care fraud for causing fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicaid and Medicare for payments to cover the costs of the illegally prescribed drugs.
Hess is scheduled to be sentenced at 10 a.m. Oct. 30.
She is facing a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of $1.25 million, or both.
In January 2018, federal agents raided the Redirections main office in Washington, along with the other locations.
Five other doctors also were under indictment in connection with the case.
The prosecution was part of a national Justice Department program targeting doctors and other health care providers who are contributing to the opioid crisis locally and across the country.