Two Women Plead Guilty in VA Opioid 'Pill Mill' Scheme

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Two women pleaded guilty on Monday for helping run a "pill mill" in which they distributed thousands of prescription opioid pills.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Kimberly Lancaster, 41 of Haymarket, and Susan Alcantara, 29 of Leesburg, worked at an addiction and pain treatment clinic and an OB/GYN practice in northern Virginia. From June 2018 through June 2019, they assisted a physician in operating a so-called "pill mill" where patients could obtain medically unnecessary prescriptions.

Lancaster often provided medical advice to the physician regarding the dispensing of prescription medications to people who were not patients of the physician, despite have no medical training, according to the state attorney's office. She was often paid in opioid prescriptions.

Alcantara filled fake prescriptions for opioid medications in her name and the names of a least four people who were unaware she was doing so. The physician was aware of Alcantara's opioid addiction, but continued writing prescriptions in the names of people they had never medically examined.

Lancaster pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose, and prescription fraud.

Alcantara pleaded guilty to prescription fraud and false statements related to a health care matter.