Oxycontin News Blog

The former nurse responsible for running an OxyContin drug ring received her sentence this afternoon. Five character witnesses took the stand, all testifying of Teresa Wallace's great personal character. In the end, this is what kept her from receiving the requested 17-year sentence.

After Wallace admitted to filling out bogus prescriptions for OxyContin and giving those prescriptions to Tyson Landon to distribute the pills, she received a 9-year prison sentence. Wallace ultimately forged 179 prescriptions over the two-year time period. Judge Lynn Winmill told the courtroom full of family and friends that her sentence would be longer then Tyson Landon's 8-year sentence and then handed down the 108-month sentence. Both Judge Winmill and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Mallard said the fact that Wallace was not addicted to the drug herself was more troubling then if she was an OxyContin addict.

Michelle Mallard, Assistant U.S. Attorney: "Well, people who are addicted, you have a certain amount of sympathy for because their addictions can be such a driving factor in their pursuit of drugs. For someone who's not addicted, that compulsion to obtain the drugs and obtain physical relief from a drug addiction is not present, so then you're left assuming their motivation is for financial gain or who knows what other motivation, but that's worse than to try to relieve your physical agony."

Wallace was immediately taken into custody. She was also ordered to pay over $40,000 in restitution to insurance companies and other victims. Defense Attorney Kip Manwaring said it is too early to say sentence.

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