PIKE COUNTY, KY (WOWK) – A physician and a nurse in Pikeville have been convicted for conspiracy to illicitly prescribe controlled substances.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky, a grand jury convicted physician Crystal Compton D.O., 43, and nurse Kayla Lambert 36, on the charges. Court records show Compton was also convicted on 44 counts of unlawfully distributing controlled substances.
US Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky Carlton S. Shier, IV, says Compton was a licensed physician practicing in several clinics in the Pikeville area, and Lambert was a nurse at those same locations. Court records say they conspired to use prescriptions not written for legitimate medical reasons to distribute controlled substances. Shier says this includes “significant quantities and dosages” of opioid painkillers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone, as well as other substances such as alprazolam and clonazepam.
Shier’s office says one person who received prescriptions from the pair was prescribed 720 10mg methadone pills and 180 2mg alprazolam pills in one month. Court records also say Compton allegedly prescribed Lambert 180 30mg oxycodone pills, and that Lambert sometimes signed Compton’s name to prescriptions in order to issue illegitimate controlled substances.
Both Compton’s and Lambert’s sentencings are scheduled for Jan. 30, 2024. They face up to 20 years in prison for drug trafficking conspiracy and unlawful distribution charges for the Schedule II controlled substances, as well as four years and five years for lesser charges. They could also face potential fines, restitution and the loss of their licenses.
