Richland-Based Doctor Sentenced in Prescription Drug Conspiracy

(Spokane, WA) -- 63-year-old Janet Sue Arnold of Benton City was recently sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for conspiring to unnecessarily prescribe and distribute opioid pain medications and other controlled substances. According to court documents, Arnold, along with a handful of others, abused a position of trust as a medical doctor by participating in a prescription drug conspiracy out of her clinic in Richland. Others named in the conspiracy are Danielle Corine Mata, David Barnes Nay, Lisa Marie Cooper and Jennifer Cheri Prichard.

During the investigation, a confidential informant posed as a patient and sought treatment from Dr. Arnold for a headache. They secretly recorded the conversations.