‘Pill Mill’ Investigation Leads to Indictments

KNOXVILLE (CN) - A Tennessee grand jury has indicted several people for their roles in "pill mills" that did an estimated $17 million in business during a four-year period, the Justice Department announced.

The indictment accuses Sylvia Hoffstetter, 51, of being the operation's ringleader and is the only defendant named in a release from the U.S. Attorney's office.

She is "charged with conspiring with other pain clinic operators or sponsors of pill shopping organizations to distribute oxycodone, and to launder the proceeds generated by those clinics," the Justice Department says.

Hoffstetter was arraigned Tuesday, March 10 and several other defendants were arrested last week.

If convicted, she and her co-defendants face up to 40 years in prison and $1.5 million in fines for drug trafficking and money laundering.

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