Danielle Simonson, age 52, of Fort Ann, New York, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for distributing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose. In previously pleading guilty, Simonson admitted that from at least January 2020 through October 2022, she unlawfully prescribed controlled substances to a total of 54 patients. Simonson issued hundreds of unlawful prescriptions, including for the opioids hydrocodone and oxycodone, benzodiazepines (clonazepam, diazepam, and lorazepam), and the stimulants amphetamine (e.g. Adderall) and methylphenidate. For instance, Simonson admitted that she issued a total of 63 oxycodone prescriptions to two residents of Suffolk County, New York, without treating either of them for a medical condition. A $10,000 fine was also imposed and Simonson was ordered to serve a 2-year term of supervised release following her term of imprisonment. Simonson has already surrendered her nurse practitioner and nursing licenses to the State of New York, and surrendered her DEA registration (which had allowed her to prescribe controlled substances).
In a separate civil settlement agreement with the US Attorney’s Office, Simonson admitted that she improperly prescribed controlled substances to 105 patients (including the 54 listed in her criminal plea agreement), often without ever examining patients and maintaining medical records justifying her decision to prescribe controlled substances. Simonson paid $200,000 to settle claims that the United States could have brought against her pursuant to the Controlled Substances Act.
