Danielle Simonson, N.P.
Outcome
Nurse practitioner Danielle Simonson, 52, sentenced March 1, 2024, to 70 months (5.8 years) in federal prison plus $10,000 fine for issuing hundreds of unlawful controlled substance prescriptions to 54 patients from 2020–2022 without legitimate medical purpose; paid separate $200,000 civil settlement covering 105 improperly-prescribed patients.
Details
Danielle Simonson, N.P. — Unlawful Controlled Substance Distribution to 105 Patients (2020–2024)
Outcome: Danielle Simonson, 52, a nurse practitioner of Fort Ann, New York, was sentenced on March 1, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Anne M. Nardacci to 70 months in federal prison plus a $10,000 fine for unlawfully distributing controlled substances to 54 patients from January 2020 through October 2022 without legitimate medical purpose; in a separate civil settlement, she paid $200,000 to resolve CSA claims covering 105 patients she improperly prescribed to, often without ever examining them.
Danielle Simonson was a nurse practitioner in Fort Ann, New York. From at least January 2020 through October 2022, she unlawfully prescribed controlled substances to a total of 54 criminal-case patients, issuing hundreds of unlawful prescriptions. The controlled substances included the opioids hydrocodone and oxycodone; benzodiazepines including clonazepam, diazepam, and lorazepam; and stimulants including amphetamine (e.g., Adderall) — substances spanning multiple DEA Schedule categories.
Simonson pleaded guilty to unlawful drug distribution on August 11, 2023. At sentencing on March 1, 2024, the court imposed 70 months in federal prison, a $10,000 fine, and a 2-year supervised release term following imprisonment.
In a separate civil settlement, Simonson admitted to improperly prescribing controlled substances to 105 patients — including the 54 in her criminal plea — often without ever examining the patients and without maintaining medical records justifying her decisions to prescribe controlled substances. She paid $200,000 to settle the civil Controlled Substances Act claims. This pattern of prescribing without examination or documentation is a pattern consistent with behavioral health practitioners who treat patients remotely or telehealth-only without adequate clinical assessment.
Primary Source: DEA Press Release — Nurse Practitioner Sentenced to 70 Months for Unlawful Drug Distribution (Mar. 1, 2024)
How Crucible Prevents This
Simonson prescribed controlled substances to 105 patients without examining them and without maintaining medical records justifying the prescriptions. Crucible's prescribing controls require a documented clinical encounter record before any controlled substance prescription is generated — no encounter record, no prescription. This single control would have blocked every one of the 105 unlawful prescriptions at point of issuance.
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