Attorney General's News Release

May 13, 1999

Kirksville nurse faces criminal charges of Medicaid fraud, fraudulently trying to obtain controlled substance

Kirksville, Mo. — A Kirksville registered nurse was arraigned on Wednesday in Adair County Associate Circuit Court after being charged with three criminal counts of Medicaid fraud and three criminal counts of fraudulently attempting to obtain a controlled substance.

Attorney General Jay Nixon filed the charges last week against Patsy A. Lancaster (DOB - 2/27/50) in Adair County Circuit Court. The felony complaint alleges that Lancaster:

• On three occasions in November and December 1998 used prescriptions to obtain or attempt to obtain the controlled substance hydrocodone from a Kirksville pharmacy. The charges allege Lancaster falsely represented to the pharmacy that the drugs were for residents of a group home in Milan where she was formerly the director of nursing, but that she then kept them for herself.
• Knowingly made misrepresentations to the pharmacy that caused the pharmacy to represent to the Missouri Medicaid program that prescriptions had been provided to Medicaid recipients, when in fact, they had not.

Each of the counts against Lancaster is a class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The charges against the defendant are merely accusations; as in all criminal cases, the defendant is presumed innocent until or unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818