SAN ANTONIO
A Kerrville man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to three years and six months in federal prison for stealing drugs from veterans, officials stated.
Scott Mitchell Brown was found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, theft of government property, and possession of stolen mail.
According to court documents, Brown, 38, was a pharmacy technician at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Kerrville. Using his position,
Brown devised a scheme to steal narcotics that were being shipped from the pharmacy to VA patients, stealing the narcotics and selling them for profit to individuals in the Kerr County area.
One of the individuals was his codefendant John Swiencki.
Swiencki introduced Brown to another codefendant, David Jeffrey Hughes Jr. Brown and Hughes proceeded to break into mailboxes and steal prescribed narcotics from veterans, using patient records obtained by Brown to identify the mailboxes.
In September 2022, Swiencki was sentenced to 12 months in prison. Hughes was sentenced to 35 months in prison in December 2022.
“Brown’s misuse of his position with the VA is a repugnant betrayal by a public servant against our nation’s veterans,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “These veterans rely on the care and compassion of the VA to assist them with ailments and disabilities. Instead, the veterans victimized by Brown and his codefendants were met with cruelty and greed. My office and the Department of Justice will continue to seek justice for those who have sacrificed so much for our country.”
“Medical professionals stealing controlled substances intended for our nation’s veterans cannot be tolerated. This sentence should send a strong message that those who would abuse their positions of trust will be caught and held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper of the VA Office of Inspector General’s South Central Field Office.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, VA Police, Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, Kerrville Police Department, and Kerr County District Attorney’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Fidel Esparza III prosecuted the case.