FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, August 02, 2007
LESLEY A. KIPP SENTENCED IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on August 2, 2007, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, LESLEY A. KIPP, a 29-year-old resident of Browning, appeared for sentencing. KIPP was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 6 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: 1 year
KIPP was sentenced in connection with her guilty plea to acquiring or obtaining possession of a controlled substance by deception (prescription fraud).
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
From April of 2003 to March of 2005, KIPP worked as a registered nurse at the Browning Community Hospital.
As part of her duties, she provided primary care to patients at the hospital. That care included the provision of controlled substances to the patients. If any controlled substances remained after a patient was injected, they were to be "wasted" or destroyed. KIPP was not entitled to use those controlled substances for her own sake.
Between April of 2003 and March of 2005, KIPP was a daily user of opiates, which she purchased on the street. On one occasion in February of 2005 and on two occasions during the first week of March of 2005, KIPP took morphine which remained from the treatment of patients. She injected the morphine and did not "waste" it, as required by hospital protocol.
In mid-March of 2005, KIPP admitted to a co-worker that she had a drug addiction. The co-worker advised her to reveal the addiction to their supervisor. KIPP did so and ultimately resigned from her position with the hospital.
An inspector general for Department of Health and Human Services subsequently reviewed records concerning the dispensation of opiates at the Browning Community hospital during KIPP'S tenure. His investigation revealed discrepancies surrounding the reported wastage of narcotics. When questioned, KIPP denied that she had any involvement with the illicit diversion of controlled substances from the hospital, other than the three occasions in February and March of 2005.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that KIPP will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, KIPP does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph E. Thaggard prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was conducted by the Inspector General's Office for the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
