The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado announced that the corporate operator of an independent pharmacy in Trinidad, in southern Colorado, agreed to resolve allegations that it unlawfully dispensed controlled substances for years. The government alleged that this dispensing violated the Controlled Substances Act.
According to the release, the United States contended that the alleged violations resulted in serious public harms, including the unlawful diversion of drugs into the community. The release did not specify which controlled substances were involved or the number of prescriptions at issue.
The matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration's Rocky Mountain Division and was handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office's Affirmative Civil Enforcement counsel, indicating a civil rather than criminal resolution.
The pharmacy operator agreed to pay $250,000 to resolve the allegations. A civil settlement of this kind resolves the government's claims without a court determination of liability, and the release does not describe any admission by the pharmacy.