Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Nurse at ‘pill mill’ sentenced to nearly six years
Just before she was sentenced to nearly six years in prison, a Little Rock nurse practitioner continued to insist she didn’t know a clinic she worked for in 2014 and 2015 was a “pill mill.”
Kristen Raines, 40, was convicted by a federal jury in August of conspiring to distribute hydrocodone and Xanax, both controlled substances, without an effective prescription. The jury acquitted her of two charges of distributing the same drugs — a painkiller and an anti-anxiety medication that are commonly abused and sold at high prices on the illicit market.
Raines of Russellville worked as an advanced practice registered nurse at the Artex Medical Clinic at 11215 Hermitage Road in Little Rock from early July 2014, about a month after the clinic opened, until mid-September 2014. She was authorized to write prescriptions under the authority of a physician who lived in Memphis, but she quit after the doctor, Felicie Wyatt, discovered that one of the clinic owners was a convicted felon and resigned. Wyatt was also charged in the case, but the jury acquitted her of all charges.
The Artex clinic closed when Wyatt and Raines resigned, but one of the owners soon reopened it in the same location under a different name, the KJ Medical Clinic, and Raines returned in November 2014.
Hydrocodone had been reclassified on Oct. 6, 2014, from a Schedule III controlled substance to a more serious Schedule II controlled substance, preventing Raines from writing prescriptions for it. But prosecutors said she still handed out hydrocodone and Xanax prescriptions that had been pre-signed by doctors to about 30 patients a day.
Raines resigned in January 2015 to care for an ailing family member, and the clinic was shut down in May 2015 after it was raided by DEA agents.
One of the physicians who had signed the prescriptions given out by Raines later died, but another one, Dr. Shawn Michael Brooks, was indicted and eventually pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony, or knowing about a crime but failing to report it. Brooks later surrendered his medical license and was sentenced March 31 to five years’ probation.
In a sentencing hearing Wednesday that lasted about three hours, and extended into the evening, arguments focused on the number of pills that Raines should be held responsible for improperly prescribing, both directly and indirectly. Raines was ultimately held responsible for supplying 125,940 hydrocodone pills and 151,075 Xanax pills without a legitimate need. The pills were routinely prescribed at the highest dose, according to testimony at the trial.
Because of the number of pills attributed to her and an enhancement approved by U.S. District Judge James Moody Jr. for using her nursing degree to further a crime, Raines faced 63 to 78 months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines. The guidelines suggest a penalty range, based on individual circumstances, that falls within the statutory penalty, which in Raines’ case was up to 20 years.
In an effort to persuade Moody to sentence Raines below the recommended range, preferably to a strictly probationary sentence, defense attorney Deborah Linton Ferguson presented testimony from Raines’ mother and father, both of whom live in Russellville, as well as a minister and a woman who is a friend and former co-worker of Raines.
Raines’ mother described her as a lifelong nurturer who is “honest to a fault” and wouldn’t have kept working at the clinics if she had known they were pill mills — clinics that appear legitimate on the outside but whose sole purpose is to churn out illegal prescriptions in exchange for lots of cash.
Testimony at the trial indicated that “recruiters” often took loads of people, many of them homeless, to the clinic and paid them to stand in line and pretend to have painful ailments and anxiety. Once the recruited people were given prescriptions for the controlled substances, they had to fill the prescriptions at a pharmacy and turn the pills over to the recruiters to sell at higher prices on the street.
Sometimes, witnesses said, the “patients” would camp out overnight in the parking lot of the clinic to be first in line when it opened at 6 a.m. The clinic hired armed guards to keep the patients from getting unruly while waiting to see a nurse or physician’s assistant who, witnesses said, were told to routinely prescribe the maximum dose and maximum number of pills possible and to sometimes prescribe an unrelated drug along with the two controlled substances to make the prescription appear more legitimate.
Teddy Raines testified that her daughter, Kristen, has had multiple bladder surgeries, a broken vertebrae and repeated hip surgery, and that her husband, Jim Sawyer, was divorcing her as a result of the criminal case.
Ferguson said Raines “was a victim,” not a criminal.
“There was a circle of people, and Kristin was not in it,” Ferguson said, referring to other workers at the clinic. “They didn’t tell her what was going on.”
As a result of her conviction, Raines has lost her nursing license and her license to prescribe drugs, Ferguson reminded the judge.
PEA RIDGE — Mr. Bobby Adam Youngblood, age 74, of Pea Ridge, Ark., passed away, Wednesday, April 19, 2017, at Circle of Life Hospice House in Bentonville.
Bob was preceded in death by both parents, Rufus Arl Youngblood and Adeline Minnie Fawcett Youngblood, and a brother, Jerry Arl Youngblood.
He is survived by wife, Duanna Youngblood of the home; daughters, Lois Ann (husband, Scot) Youngblood Mason and Megan Elizabeth ( husband, Edwin) Youngblood Whitworth; sister, Linda Ann Youngblood Blackwood; and two grandchildren, Brandon and Alyssa Mason.
Bob worked for Daisy BB, Dixieland Lanes, and was the owner of Adam’s Heating and Air. He loved golfing and playing poker. He was an avid Atlanta Braves and Razorback Baseball fan.
Funeral services for Mr. Youngblood will be on Sunday, April 23, 2017, at 1 p.m. at Benton County Memorial Park Funeral Home Chapel, 3800 W. Walnut, Rogers, Ark., with Pastor Robin Cowin officiating. Visitation will be Saturday, April 22, 2017, from 10 a.m. to noon. Burial will be at the Jasper Cemetery, 103 Arkansas 74, Jasper, Ark., on April 23, 2017, at 5 p.m.
Arrangements by Benton County Memorial Park Funeral Home, Rogers, Ark.
SPRINGDALE — Betty McClain Rice Bowen, 82, of Springdale, went home to be with the Lord on Monday, April 17, 2017, at Northwest Medical Center in Springdale. She was born Dec. 31, 1934, in Knoxville, Tenn., to L.B. and Lena Browning McClain.
She attended Cross Church in Springdale where she sang in the choir for over 30 years. She enjoyed volunteer work at church and local nursing homes. She was an avid Lady Razorback and Lady Vols fan. Her faith, family and friends were her joy. She was always encouraging and supportive, and her loyalty to her family and friends never failed.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her first husband of 45 years, Wayne Rice and her second husband of seven years, Sam Bowen; one daughter, Jenny Roller; two sisters, Barbara “Bobbie” Evans and Deloris McClain.
Survivors include two daughters, Deloris Hudson and husband James of Fayetteville and Sheri Griffith and husband Tom of Lowell; three sisters, Wilda Barker and husband David of Powell, Tenn., Carolyn Holson and husband Robert of Siloam Springs and Judy Iturbe and husband Wayne of Powell, Tenn.; one granddaughter, Stephanie Petree and husband Patrick of Farmington; two great-grandchildren, Addison and Hudson Petree and nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be Monday, April 24, 2017, at 10 a. m. at Sisco Funeral Chapel of Springdale with Charlie Foster officiating. Funeral services and interment in Tennessee will be Wednesday, April 26, 2017, at 11 a.m. at Woodhaven Memorial Gardens of Powell with Glenn Gamble officiating. Visitation will be Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to Senior Adult Ministry, Cross Church, 1709 Johnson Road, Springdale, Ark., 72764.
Online condolences may be left at www.siscofuneral. com.
SPRINGDALE — Ruth Bridges, 82, of Springdale, Ark., passed away on April 19, 2017, in Springdale, Ark. She was born Sept. 15, 1934, in Elizabeth, Ark., to Jesse and Kate Queen.
Ruth is survived by her daughters Debra Bridges, Pam Middleton and husband Eddie, Sonia Cross and husband Larry; grandchildren Chris, Casey, Lindsey, Bethany, Shane, Ashley and Drew; great grandchildren Tara, Brandy, James, Dylan, Cale, Noah, Asher, Ari and Ryan. She is also survived by siblings Dean Moss, Shirley Rhine and Barbara White.
“Granny” Bridges always had an unconditional love for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She also enjoyed cooking, gardening, family gatherings, cookouts, playing cards, dominoes, Yahtzee and NASCAR. She had a special fondness for going to garage sales and thrift stores with her family. She will be greatly missed by family and friends, but will live on in our hearts and memories.
Ruth was preceded in death by her father, Jesse Queen; mother, Kate QueenMoss; one son, Billy Ray Queen; a sister, Margie Aldridge and brothers, Gene, Donnie and Glen Moss.
Visitation will be 5-7 p.m., Friday, April 21, 2017, at Westfield Chapel Funeral Home, Springdale.
Funeral service will be 10 a.m., Saturday, April 22, 2017, at Westfield Chapel Funeral Home.
Please visit Ruth’s memorial page at www.Westfield Chapel.com.
PINEVILLE, Mo. — Gene Fortune, 67, of Pineville, Mo., died April 19, 2017, at his home. He was born Aug. 17, 1949, to William and Marie Fortune Sr. in Ponca City, Okla. | He worked for the Bella Vista POA Parks and Lakes and for Clacks Industries in Rogers for many years.
Gene is survived by one brother, Tom Fortune of Sherwood, Ark.; two nephews, Jeremy and Tommy Fortune; a niece, Megan Stoup; stepdaughter, Brandy Chase and husband, John; two granddaughters, Brianna and Baylee Chase; and great-grandson, Aleksander Hall.
A private service will be held at the family home at a later date.
Arrangements are by Bella Vista Funeral Home & Crematory. Online condolences may be made at www.funeral mation.com.