What Happened
Chantelle Lavergne Woods, 54, of Nipomo, California, who formerly operated and managed a clinic in Arroyo Grande, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to presenting a false immigration document or application and to possession with intent to distribute phendimetrazine. She admitted that from February 2021 to June 2022 she used the DEA registration number of a deceased physician to order more than 150,000 tablets of controlled substances, including testosterone, codeine, alprazolam, diethylpropion, and phentermine. In July 2022 she possessed phendimetrazine with intent to distribute, along with a loaded firearm. A July 31 sentencing was scheduled, with a statutory maximum of 10 years for each count.
“she used the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number of a deceased physician to order more than 150,000 tablets of controlled substances”
Related Guidance
- 15 Red Flags of Drug Diversion — Behavioral and transactional indicators of diversion.
- Investigation Playbook — How to investigate suspected diversion inside an organization.