2 Hudson Valley Medical Workers Illegally Handed Out Oxycodone

Another medical employee confessed she tried to act as a major trafficker in a scheme where allegedly over $600,000 worth of oxycodone was dispensed in the Hudson Valley.

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In Orange County Court, 40-year-old Vanessa L Hinkley of Mamakating pleaded guilty to attempted operating as a major trafficker.

Hinkley’s plea involved a scheme to obtain oxycodone pills to sell by creating false prescriptions from the Goshen medical practice where Hinkley and another defendant, Jodee O’Dell, previously worked as office managers.

The scheme included having accomplices, who were not patients of the practice, fill the prescriptions and give the majority of the pills to O’Dell and other accomplices, including Hinkley, officials say.

In June, O’Dell pleaded guilty to attempted operating as a major trafficker, for her part in the scheme.

After receiving a complaint from the medical practice, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office initiated an investigation into a group of individuals allegedly involved in a conspiracy to illegally obtain oxycodone by electronically issuing false prescriptions for the highly addictive narcotic drug.

As a result of the investigation, six were charged with felony conspiracy charges.

Felony complaints alleged the group caused 51,375 oxycodone pills, having a street value of over $625,852, to be illegally dispensed between January 6, 2015, and August 27, 2018.

O'Dell confessed during the six-month period between January 1, 2018, and June 28, 2018, the group caused 11,803 pills containing oxycodone, having a street value in excess of $182,752, to be illegally dispensed through the false prescriptions.

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Hinkley didn't dispute that those numbers and dollar amounts were correct, at the time she pleaded guilty, officials say. She's scheduled to be sentenced in October.

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