A Juneau dental assistant was sentenced to serve one year in prison on Thursday for illegally writing her boyfriend prescriptions for painkillers.
Juneau Superior Court Judge Philip Pallenberg imposed four years of prison with three suspended for Donya R. Owens, 29.
Owens pleaded guilty in April to three felony drug charges for calling in hydrocodone orders for Robert A. Biddinger, 44.
Prosecutors say the couple scammed all the pharmacies in Juneau on a weekly basis for at least four months last year.
Owens was authorized to call in prescription orders as a dental assistant, but not for Biddinger since he wasn’t a patient, prosecutors said.
Biddinger, who said he became addicted to the drugs after having surgery, was also charged, and he pleaded guilty in March. His sentencing hearing was postponed and is scheduled for June 14.
Owens broke down crying when given the chance to speak in court. She told the judge her children are suffering the most from her actions.
Owens’ attorney Kirsten Swanson said Owens has two children, ages 9 and 11, who are living with their grandmother in Sitka while Owens is in custody.
Swanson said her client is paying for her mistakes, in more way than one, as she continues to fight with the kids’ biological father to keep custody of her children. She also lost her job, and will never be allowed to work in a dentist’s office again, Swanson said.
This was Owens’ first criminal offense.
• Contact reporter Emily Russo Miller at 523-2263 or at emily.miller@juneauempire.com.
Comments (56)
Add commentHow about that? There are
How about that? There are consequences to our actions. Who would have guessed? You play, you pay. Simple as that.
Two thoughts
Make that three:
1. Sad to see this happen, but when you're put in a position of trust like this young woman was, you need to be held accountable.
2. How tough would it be for the State to set up an online database that all pharmacies would be required to log prescriptions for Schedule 1 drugs. That way the database could flag people who are pharmacy shopping. It could also flag clinics who are handing them out like candy.
3. I keep hearing about people who become addicted after surgery. I've known a few myself. Isn't there some accountability on the doctor's part to monitor that situation? It's easy for a doctor to write another scrip for a painkiller so the patient leaves happy (after paying his bill), but there are physicians in this town who are destroying lives due to their laziness. The patients trust that if the doctor keeps prescribing it, they must be safe.
Screws it up for the rest of us.
My dentist is stingy with pain killers anyway. Still have a couple of wisdom teeth to go. Advil doesn't cut it. Like those meth labs that use decongestants to cook crank. Ever had to sign for Sinus Tylenol?
Never ever
I love pain meds! They do exactly what they are supposed to do - knock my behind out for a few days so that my body can rest and heal. That said, I never ever use all of the pain pills that are given to me from my doctor after surgery, tooth extraction, etc. I just don't need them. After the first few days, I usually feel well enough to switch to something over the counter.
I understand that pain management is important to good physical and mental health, but it concerns me that there are medical professionals who will write enough scripts that an addiction can form.
Best of luck to Ms. Owens. I sincerely hope that she can move on from this episode and not let who she was or what she did, determine who she will be in the future.
Yes I believe in
Yes I believe in "consequences to our actions".
She faces a year in jail, but what about:
Industries that are pumping & dumping toxins into our air, ground, ocean, & our rivers... what price are they paying for polluting our environment? It certainly is a crime beyond measure.
Look at all this rain, it comes from the ocean, rivers and lakes and if those places are filled with toxins.....
ocean acidification is a growning problem in Alaska, and now C02 levels are at 400 ppm in the Arctic..
Christian Science Monitor:
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0531/Climate-change-Arctic-passes-...
Have you seen this June 6th report ? Its alarming and we all have to pull together and do something. No amount of jobs, no amt of money is worth destroying our environment for.
Earth Tipping Point Study In Nature Journal Predicts Disturbing And Unpredictable Changes
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/07/earth-tipping-point-study_n_157...
Boyfriend
Just another view , As harsh as it may be under no circumstance do you ever put a boyfriend before your children .As she broke down and told the judge her children are the ones suffering the most from her actions. The truth is when she took up with this guy from day one the suffering started for her poor kids as she selfishly made him her number one priority.She should also be made to take some parenting classes as well. And get rid of the loser.
wow...the boyfriend is blamed huh......
I bet if you knew the whole story here you would have a different view of that. She is much more devious than this nice picture of her sweet, innocent face wants to depict.
The boyfriend wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed by any means, but believe me the perscription part of this is only part of the story with the dental clinic. She did this because she could..............not because some man told her to.
They are both equally at fault here. And I hope she does dump him when she gets out. His kids would rather not have to deal with this woman in their lives anymore.....
We have all done really
We have all done really stupid things Ms. Owens, just hang in there and take the lumps, in the end those lumps (if you allow) will make you a better person.
Every person is deserving of a second chance. Remember this could be your daughter going to prison.
My feelings towards people in these types of situations changed when one of my own family members got it in serious trouble.. I found myself on the other side and wow what an eye opener. Some people do really bad things at times for reasons they may not even be able to understand why they did them and this is just a part of who they are or what they are capable of becoming.
One thing, one behavior does not define who they are; we are all so much more than just one thing.
So when you see someone that you know that has been in trouble please give them the benefit of your doubt and help them on their way with even just a simple smile or a hello because in the end helping them helps us all.
@jumpstart
speakin troof
3 years suspended for a drug dealer
She should lose her kids. She put getting hooked up with a guy and some cash above her kids repeatedly.
She was also dealing to her boyfriend. Don't tell me she didn't get any cash or other gifts for her crimes. Probably getting half her rent paid while claiming to public assistance she paid it all herself too.
16-20 counts of falsifying prescriptions
defrauding insurance companies, etc, etc, etc...and one year in jail.
That's 18 days in jail per act of illegally obtained narcotics. Is there anyplace else on earth with worse joke sentences???
Not even 30 days in jail for falsifying prescriptions. Unreal.
Pay attention & Do the right thing
WOW, you two sound terribly knowledgeable about the evil female and angelic boyfriend.
Are you part of the triangle and simply jealous and full of poop
or
are you also part of the situation and trying to protect the boyfriend for personal reasons.
Im sure there's more to the story than the article states and thats with both of them, yes, even the angel that you two so strongly vouch for.
Me, wonders about your true motivations.
Yes, she screwed up, and in my mind the 44 year old boyfriend was controlling her as is usually the case in these things. But I dont know and will hope for the best for her and that he is sentenced accordingly.
Poor little innocent child Addicted to painkillers because it was the doctors fault. Dang druggies use that excuse more than a drunk blames the bartender.
Do ya think he knew what he was doing when he hooked up with a single mom 15 years his junior who happened to work in a position to provide him with drugs?
hah hah hah
goooood,its about time somebody got caught...now we need 2 catch the other ones....she should of got 5 yrs with 3 suspended...she is a crimy...
Lucky
Lucky they are white. If they weren't they would have gotten a lot worst.
to Tlingit
Your so full of it.
White, Black, green, or indian, they should/will get whats due based upon truth and the circumstance.
To do the proverbial whine about if they were ______ they'd been treated better/worse. I for one am tired of it. If you really belive such B.S. then become active in fixing it and quit whining like the rest of them (them = all whiners not just a particular race or group)
There are solutions to all problems, if in fact there is a problem, not like this issue where it resides in someones head and not reality.
tlingit1-she is Native or part anyway
so quit your racist self-pitying whining. Tell the whole story too.
Natives get free healthcare in AK-no matter how tiny a fraction Native they are.
Natives get jobs in the BIA, IHS, Native Corps and all of the subcontractors for these groups based on race. No different than companies that hired "whites only" in the 1950s. What pride you must have in that.
Natives get 1%, no credit mortgages. I didn't get any handouts when I bought my home. I saved and made sure I had good credit.
Natives get college tuition grants just for being Native. I had to show achievement to get a scholarship.
Natives can earn much more than non-Natives and still qualify for more gov handouts like denali kid care, medicaid, etc. I've never applied for handouts of any kind but it ticks me off just the same as any other racist policy or legislation.
Do the right thing and slegnawons
I went through the court rooms and witness all of this and yes it shouldn't have to do anything with racism but the fact is that is does. So before you get on your self righteous narrow mindedness. Take a look at how wildly you feed into anything and be mature about yourself and stop behaving immature.
what about what you race did?
The fact is that this land belonged to the natives and not the whites. Look at history before you get on you band wagon idiot brains. The little things that you focus on is so idiotic. The Natives had a lot more taken away and you guys continue to live in your own guilt.
PS. YOUR THE ONE'S THAT'S DOING ALL THE WHINING, AND YOUR JUST TO BLIND TO SEE IT. I GUESS THE TRUTH HURTS HUH?
UNSUSCESSFUL
EVEN THOUGH THE WHITE MAN TRIED AS HARD AS THEY CAN TO KILL OFF THE NATIVES, THEY WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. PERIOD, WE STILL LIVE STRONG AND WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED!!!!
"stop behaving immaturely" ?
"stop behaving immaturely" ? Your kidding? Right? Your turned this topic ,single handily ! And you have the guts to say that sleg is the one who is acting inappropriate ? Please.
It's people like you who don't and WON'T let it go. Your right racism is alive and kickin' .
I for one, don't care if your black, white, brown, yellow, pink, purple with neon fricken green polka dots (Judges too) , you forge prescriptions your gonna get punished. Just remember Tlingit1 , the courts DO look at past criminal history.
This is gonna get goooood !
This is gonna get goooood ! Come on boys .... Fire up your keyboards ! Lmfao
Wild_alaskan
Hopefully your Native to have such a user name. hahahaha LMAO!!!!! Dam right I won't let the past go......and I will continue to remind the White man on how they are, as long as they keep complaining on how we get things for free. They took the country by force, which we live in today and feel very proud of it!!!!! But let's not forget about how they got the country, raping, killing and dehumanizing one of GOD'S Creations, which happens to be another human being, for what? out of GREED AND ENVIOUS for something that didn't belong to them in the first place, PERIOD.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF SOMEONE CAME INTO YOUR HOME, TOOK EVERYTHING THAT YOU OWNED AND STARTED TO DICTATE TO YOU ON HOW YOU MUST LIVE? THAT'S WHAT THE WHITE MAN DID AND CONTINUES TO MAKE EXCUSES FOR THEMSELVES.
You did read my comment
You did read my comment didn't you? You don't know what my heritage is....do ya? Either way, I'm done reading your garbage. From now on, I'll just flag it as in appropriate.
WILD_ALASKAN
Thank you, I know this is a touchy issue for some. My apologies. I just don't like it when Natives are continuously looked down on and others don't take responsibility for their actions. I don't believe in hiding my identity and will continue to speak my mind. After all it is my GOD given right.
Hey Kilinget1
You are a typical whining person with a welfare mentality. You and yours get a free ride from birth until death. A few of you become succesful through determination and self-pride.
Who is it that has the highest rate of Fetal Alchohol Syndrone in the country?
Who is it that has the highest occurance of rape against thier own?
Who fills most of the cells in the prisons here in this great state?
I already know your answer ,,,,,,,, its whiteys fault.
You call yourselves the stewards of the land yet its the indian corporations that rape the land, clear cut the forest, and harvest to the point of waste the Salmon in the waters.
You claim this is your land and it was stolen from you. You can look at that two ways.
1) your a defeated people and the spoils goes to the winners. or
2) I have always found it interesting that you go back in history to a certain point that supports your claims yet go back another millineum and you'll see the european (white man) came here first across the same land bridge as you.
I do not live with guilt because I took nothing from you or yours. Just as you lost nothing. What you have or dont have is based soley on your choices and actions.
No one stole anything from you. Your ancestors lost it to the Russians and we bought the land from them. just like selling a car. If Joe has a car and loses it somehow to Tom then Tom chooses to sell it to Tlinget1 then does Joe have the right to blame Tlinget1 if Tom cheated Joe out of it. So, Mr. klinget you should be mad at the Russians. The USA treats you and yours to a lot in reparation for what Russia did.
I am American with no hyphen and am proud of it. I do not teach my children to hate others in fact I teach them to accept all others and realize there are still a lot of angry hate filled people who are so entrenched in the past they can't see the present much less the future. They're basically a lost cause because they will never change, thay refuse to let go of the hate.
I know more indians that teach hatred from the diaper to thier children of the evil white man yet every month thier hands are held out demanding that check, they go to the indian hospital for free medical care, they die and the BIA pays to execute thier estate, if they dont get what they want they yell racist.
I am as much an American by virtue of my birth, my parents, birth, thier parents birth, and so on, and so forth just like you. I, however, do not dilute my being an American by putting a hyphen in it. I work, pay my taxes to help your free ride, and spilled my blood for all Americans even those I find disgusting because they hyphenate it.
You have the right to whine and get a free ride and I am proud to have fought to guarantee that right. So, whine away Klinget1, I'll just write another check.
I find it interesting that you referred to God more than once. Tlingets believe in Mother Earth not God. If you've chosen to follow Christianity then hooray for you it but it makes you again an indian that takes from the white man and bad mouths him at the same time.
Your an angry and unhappy person. You should work on that. The "other side" has been trying to incorporate you into the potpurri of being an American for a lot of years but a lot of hate filled people like yourself refuse to stop hating and insist on remaining on the fringe and trying to convert others into thier racist beliefs.
I'll apologize for getting carried away earlier in this one post only. However I wont remove it because it is all true. I just didnt need to say it.
Now Ill be like Wild_Alaskan and simply sit back and watch 8)
Good for you slegnawons
Slegnawons nice that you can speak on your narrow views. Although your points are senseless. Finally the true colors on who you really are come out huh? See how you make yourself sound so justified and believing in your owe lies, Stereo typical at its most, thank you very much. Your people our the only ones that infected this land, it was pure before your kind came along and your type will never stop trying to justify your wrong doing and how wicked your race really is.
The fact of the mature is, if the white man was here first, why didn't he pollute the land like the East coast of America? and then spread West and then North West.
Who used alcohol against the Natives, who infected the blanks given to the Indians as an act of kindness, but it was tainted with small pocks, who raided Indian land site after land site raped and killed,your people did. So don't get on your high horse on how Natives are today. Whites are the ones who have it easy, everything is geared to work for you people and no one less. I learned how to play the white man game and I am being pretty successful in my carrier. So maybe you can take off the blinds and really live up to being accoutable for your race's behaviors. After all, they are the one's whom caused the problems and never really intended on fixing anything. Your kind are just a bunch of oppressures and everything else that wrong with this world.
Good for you slegnawons
Slegnawons nice that you can speak on your narrow views. Although your points are senseless. Finally the true colors on who you really are come out huh? See how you make yourself sound so justified and believing in your owe lies, Stereo typical at its most, thank you very much. Your people our the only ones that infected this land, it was pure before your kind came along and your type will never stop trying to justify your wrong doing and how wicked your race really is.
The fact of the mature is, if the white man was here first, why didn't he pollute the land like the East coast of America? and then spread West and then North West.
Who used alcohol against the Natives, who infected the blanks given to the Indians as an act of kindness, but it was tainted with small pocks, who raided Indian land site after land site raped and killed,your people did. So don't get on your high horse on how Natives are today. Whites are the ones who have it easy, everything is geared to work for your people and no one less. I learned how to play the white man game and I am being pretty successful in my carrier. So maybe you can take off the blinds and really live up to being accountable for your race's behaviors. After all, they are the one's whom caused the problems and never really intended on fixing anything. Your kind are just a bunch of oppressors and everything else that wrong with this world.
Getting inpatient
My computer is being slow and I ended up saving two copies somehow. Anyway, all of this just makes me sick. I hope the narrow minded injustices will stop. it all just started from one simple comment and lead into a bunch of argumentive crap. I really do love America and I am proud to be American what ever happen in history is just that History.
@tlingit1
You are the racisist and filled with hate. I am so tired of being accused of being racisist because I'm white. My only crime is being born white but I must pay all my life because someone did something to your ancestor...not me...but simply one of my race. You will generalize about me and my race but yours is off limits...is that it?
Pitiful, cheap, weak, stupid, and a hollow raving from a lazy person. Lazy to lean on the race card when angry about what life hasn't given you.....
Freedom is Freedom to Abuse
I have always contended that: All the so called character flaws and various Human foibles,are exactly what permitted A walking Ape to escape the treeless Savannah and become HomoSapiens. The Drug Enforcement Civil War/Holocaust continues on ad infinitum. The only winners being The Ignorant slime ball Profiteers of the Spoils of Wars. In My lifetime I have seen all that was good about America "Crucified On A Cross Of Drug Enforcement".What a Silly Pathetic Country this has become.
The Financial Crisis we are in began on that Slippery Slope of Hypocritical Drug Enforcement Laws i.e. If The Whole Country is Outlaw, why not "Take The Money And Run" .Me, I am a "Pragmatic Ideologist": If Drug Abuse had always been treated as a Medical Problem,It would have been cured already.As I could write a book on this subject,I while leave you with a quote from Rev. Jeremiah Wright : "God Damn America". It looks like He already has,and rightfully so.