Brenda Brown-Carlson, D.V.M. (veterinary clinics, Portland, OR)
Outcome
Veterinarian Brenda Brown-Carlson was sentenced to 60 months of supervised probation after pleading guilty to felony drug record tampering, computer crimes, and attempted animal neglect for diverting hydromorphone, buprenorphine, and butorphanol from surgical patients and replacing them with saline, compromising pain management in more than 200 animal procedures.
Details
Brenda Brown-Carlson, D.V.M. — Controlled Substance Diversion Compromising 200+ Animal Surgeries (2026)
Outcome: Veterinarian Brenda Brown-Carlson was sentenced to 60 months of supervised probation after pleading guilty to felony drug record tampering, computer crimes, and attempted animal neglect for diverting hydromorphone, buprenorphine, and butorphanol from surgical patients and replacing them with saline, compromising pain management in more than 200 animal procedures.
Brenda Brown-Carlson, D.V.M., age 54, a Sherwood, Oregon resident, worked as a veterinarian at two Portland-area veterinary clinics. Her conduct came to light in February 2024 when the clinics reported a drug diversion to the DEA in Portland.
Brown-Carlson systematically diverted three controlled substances for her personal use: hydromorphone (Schedule II), buprenorphine (Schedule III), and butorphanol (Schedule IV). Rather than administering proper doses to animals undergoing surgical procedures, she replaced the controlled substances in vials with saline. Animals undergoing surgery received diluted doses or no effective analgesia, causing pain and distress during procedures. The diversion affected the care of more than 200 animals.
The scheme was discovered when co-workers noticed discrepancies in the clinics' controlled substance records and patterns in dispensing machine logs. Staff reviewed computerized drug-dispensing machine records and surveillance video footage, which showed Brown-Carlson diverting controlled substances and refilling vials with saline. Upon discovery, the clinics reported the diversion to the DEA.
Brown-Carlson pleaded guilty to one felony count of tampering with drug records, two felony counts of computer crimes, and one felony count of second-degree attempted animal neglect. She was sentenced on January 13, 2026, in Multnomah County Circuit Court to 60 months of supervised probation. Conditions of probation prohibit her from being employed by any business whose primary purpose is the treatment of animals, except that she may own and care for her own pets.
At the time of sentencing, action by the Oregon Veterinary Medical Examining Board regarding Brown-Carlson's state license was pending, as were federal civil penalties for CSA violations related to her DEA Certificate of Registration.
Primary Source: Portland Veterinarian Sentenced for Diverting Controlled Substances for Personal Use — DEA
How Crucible Prevents This
Crucible's controlled substance automated dispensing machine reconciliation controls enforce pre/post-procedure vial counts for Schedule II and III narcotics. Video review procedures combined with automated inventory discrepancy alerts would have flagged the vial manipulation visible on surveillance footage weeks or months before co-workers manually detected the pattern. DEA report-of-theft or significant-loss (ARCOS/DEA Form 106) triggers built into Crucible's incident workflow would have ensured regulatory reporting occurred immediately upon discovery rather than requiring staff to identify and escalate the pattern independently. Probation conditions barring employment in animal treatment align with the type of professional access controls Crucible enforces at credential verification.
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