Louisiana NP arrested and charged with multiple drug-related offenses
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Nurse practitioner Jennifer Ann Levinson faces multiple charges as a result of an investigation that uncovered an alleged drug-trafficking scheme involving fraudulent prescriptions for friends and family members.
Source: KTVE with paraphrasing by ChatGPT
On July 24, 2023, the Louisiana State Police Criminal Investigations Division Monroe Field Office received information from a pharmacist at a local Walgreens concerning the alleged misconduct of Jennifer Ann Levinson, a nurse practitioner in northeast Louisiana. It was reported that Levinson would purportedly call in prescriptions for patients and personally collect them from the pharmacy. Subsequently, an arrest warrant for Levinson and search warrants for her residence in West Monroe, La., and a family clinic in Ruston, La., were obtained based on court documents.
The investigation revealed that Levinson worked for multiple healthcare facilities in North Louisiana as a nurse practitioner. On August 21, 2023, authorities visited Levinson's home, where she admitted to engaging in prescription-related activities after being terminated from a Monroe, LA hospital. She confessed to writing numerous prescriptions, picking them up, and either keeping the pills for herself or sharing them with patients. Levinson implicated a woman also in the residence, Amber Farmer, as her supplier of Xanax. Following a search, authorities seized electronic devices and took Levinson and Farmer to Metro Narcotics for questioning.
During questioning, Farmer disclosed providing Levinson with Xanax on multiple occasions, and both individuals acknowledged the existence of text messages regarding pill transactions between them. Levinson claimed to have not worked since her dismissal from a Monroe hospital in the summer of 2022. She justified her actions by believing she could issue new prescriptions as refills for former patients. Levinson admitted to prescribing clonazepam and diazepam to three patients, with one allegedly agreeing to deliver the prescription to Levinson's home for financial compensation.
Court documents further revealed Levinson's alleged attempts to secure prescriptions for friends and family members through various individuals. On November 6, 2023, Levinson was arrested on 26 counts of Illegal Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, 26 counts of Obtaining a Controlled Dangerous Substance by Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Insurance Fraud, and Conspiracy to Obtain Controlled Dangerous Substance by Fraud. The charges stemmed from her alleged involvement in orchestrating the fraudulent acquisition and delivery of prescriptions.
During the investigation, Levinson implicated Monica Whitaker Hicks, revealing that Hicks had agreed to bring clonazepam and diazepam prescriptions for her children to Levinson's house for financial gain. Hicks, when questioned on October 13, 2023, acknowledged knowing Levinson from their previous work together and confirmed that Levinson had been her children's pediatric nurse practitioner. Hicks admitted to providing Levinson with prescriptions for her children, stating that Levinson compensated her due to financial difficulties.
Hicks, who was arrested on November 9, 2023, faced charges of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance, Prohibited Acts, Medicaid Fraud, Criminal Conspiracy, and Attempt and Conspiracy. Hicks alleged that Levinson never evaluated her children before prescribing medication, mentioning that she was aware of Levinson's absence from nursing practice since a 2022 vehicle accident.