Tilton Veterinary Hospital (Sara Laroux, D.V.M.)
Outcome
Sara Laroux, D.V.M., and Tilton Veterinary Hospital agreed to pay $53,500 to resolve allegations that the veterinarian falsified controlled substance records, left drugs unsecured and unmonitored for extended periods, and failed to maintain accurate inventories, announced January 2025.
Details
Tilton Veterinary Hospital (Sara Laroux, D.V.M.) — CSA Record Falsification / Unsecured Drugs (2025)
Outcome: Dr. Sara Laroux and Tilton Veterinary Hospital agreed to pay $53,500 in January 2025 to resolve DEA and DOJ allegations that she falsified controlled substance records, forged signatures, left controlled substances unsecured for extended periods, and allowed significant shortages of opioids and other controlled substances to develop unaddressed.
Sara Laroux, D.V.M., owns and operates Tilton Veterinary Hospital in Tilton, New Hampshire. Beginning in January 2024, the DEA conducted an investigation into allegations that Dr. Laroux's controlled substance records were incorrect and that controlled substances were missing. Investigators discovered a pattern of violations that went beyond mere recordkeeping neglect.
The investigation revealed: (1) Dr. Laroux failed to maintain complete and accurate records of controlled substances received, dispensed, or destroyed; (2) Dr. Laroux failed to conduct proper biennial inventories of controlled substances on hand; (3) pages in the controlled substance records had been altered and signatures had been forged, indicating deliberate falsification rather than inadvertent error; (4) significant shortages of various controlled substances were confirmed on audit; and (5) Dr. Laroux was absent from the hospital for large periods of time while controlled substances remained unmonitored and unsecured — creating conditions that facilitated undetected theft or diversion.
The settlement of $53,500 was announced in January 2025 by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Hampshire. The complaint resolved allegations only; no criminal charges were publicly announced in connection with this case. The consent agreement includes compliance requirements going forward.
Primary Source: Tilton Veterinarian Agrees to Pay $53,500 | DOJ
How Crucible Prevents This
The falsified records and altered signatures discovered by DEA are indicators that the controlled substance violation was not passive neglect but active concealment. Crucible's immutable DECISIONS log — append-only, session- authenticated records — provides a structural barrier against post-hoc alteration. A practice using Crucible-enforced session logs for controlled substance handling would produce records that cannot be quietly changed when an inspector arrives, making falsification both detectable and deterred.
Don't let this happen to your organization. See how Crucible works.
See How Crucible Works