A 74-year-old woman from Texas, who has a nursing background, was recently found guilty in federal court for distributing a substantial amount of fentanyl—around 150,000 doses—as announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island on Monday.
Patrica Parker was sentenced after stating that she wasn’t aware her package contained fentanyl. However, investigators noted in the sentencing memorandum that, given her education, she likely should have known.
Parker pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to distribute fentanyl and distributing over 310 grams of the substance.
Her penalties include two years of probation, with nine months of home confinement, according to the court.
Currently residing in Massachusetts, she was found attempting to distribute counterfeit amphetamines laced with fentanyl to undercover FDA agents in 2022.
According to officials, undercover operations revealed that Parker possessed over 18,000 pills, including substances like Adderall, oxycodone, and diazepam, and had shipped over 1,000 packages suspected of containing illegal drugs.
This information was shared by Parker’s attorney, who mentioned that after her career was impacted by COVID-19, she found herself unable to afford her medication. A previous vendor offered to help, provided she mailed these pills to a local store.
The affidavit indicated that she received sizable quantities of illegal products from overseas, which she then sent in smaller packages.
Parker’s lawyer described this endeavor as a “side job” during a tough financial period.
According to the sentencing documents, prosecutors emphasized that Parker’s operation effectively turned her living room into a makeshift pharmacy and posed a risk she should have recognized as a well-educated individual.
Parker, however, maintains that she was unaware that some pills contained fentanyl.
In a letter to the judge, she expressed, “This case is completely out of touch with the life I have lived and the values I have always tried to uphold. I would never have knowingly participated in anything involving such a dangerous drug.” Reflecting on her choices, she added, “I should have asked what it was. So it was my own doing. In hindsight, that fact still haunts me.”
Further information is being sought from the state of Rhode Island and the FDA by Fox News Digital.
