Murrysville Woman Gets 8 Years In Prison For Years-Long Oxycodone Distribution Scheme

PITTSBURGH - A Murrysville woman has been sentenced in federal court to 96 months imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on her conviction of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and health care fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

Senior United States District Judge Maurice B. Cohill, Jr. imposed the sentence yesterday on Paula Jackson, 40.

According to information presented to the court, Jackson conspired with others to engage in a multi-year long oxycodone pill distribution conspiracy, during which Jackson obtained more than 17,000 pills. Jackson both sold the pills she obtained and consumed them. As part of the conspiracy, Jackson stole the DEA numbers of various area doctors and also used stolen health care insurance information to pay for the pills that she fraudulently obtained.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Cohill noted the seriousness of the offenses as well as the damage done to the doctors who had their identities stolen by Jackson.

Assistant United States Attorney Eric S. Rosen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Jackson.