CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WFXR) – On Friday, Sept. 29, the U.S. Department of Justice in the Western District of Virginia announced a South Carolina woman and former chief operating officer of local Virginia pain clinics, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on conspiracy fraud and drug distribution charges.

According to the DOJ, 50-year-old Jennifer Ann “Jen” Adams of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina has been charged with one count of conspiring to commit healthcare fraud, one count of conspiring to distribute medically illegitimate Schedule II controlled substances, and one count of conspiring to use the DEA registration number of another.

“We face a moment in our country where more than 100,000 of our fellow Americans die each year from drug overdoses,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “We must do all we can to support those battling addiction disorders and prosecute those who prey on this disease.”

Court documents show that Adams was the COO and practice manager, Adams for clinics throughout Central and Southwest Virginia, including Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Woodlawn, Blacksburg, and Christiansburg. The clinics served patients for pain management and involved the prescription of Schedule II opioids and opioid addiction treatments like Suboxone and other drugs.

It is alleged that Adams allowed medical providers without DEA registration numbers to use the registration numbers of others. Furthermore, it is believed she directly instructed employees to use the registration numbers of doctors not present and assisted in making payments to doctors who were not present for the use of their registration numbers.

Adams was also allegedly aware when employees were prescribing to patients at risk of substance abuse Schedule II and Schedule III controlled substances. Additionally, she allegedly allowed employees without medical training, experience, and/or licensing to treat patients and make medical decisions.

Adams was arrested in South Carolina early in September after a criminal complaint.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health, and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating the case.

“My office’s commitment to holding bad actors accountable for their role in exacerbating the opioid epidemic remains unyielding. With the support of our federal partners, Virginia will continue to prosecute those who take advantage of their fellow citizens for their own selfish benefit, decimating lives in the process,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares.