By Ciara Perez, Investigative Journalist | iSkyCreations – News & Media (ISC)
Published Feb 3rd, 2024
Tampa, Florida – A former nurse has been sentenced to three years in federal prison following her involvement in an illegal prescription drug conspiracy. Debora Ryder, 56, of New Port Richey, faced judgment on charges related to her participation in a scheme to distribute controlled substances unlawfully. The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber after Ryder entered a guilty plea on September 19, 2023.
Ryder, who was a Florida-licensed advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), a registered nurse (RN), and a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registrant, abused her medical licensing to conspire with an accomplice in distributing controlled substances, including promethazine with codeine and oxycodone. This was done without medical evaluations, directly violating the trust and authority vested in her by her professional and DEA registrations.
The conspiracy unfolded between August and September 2022, a period during which Ryder’s nursing license had become delinquent, rendering her unauthorized to prescribe controlled substances. Despite this, Ryder issued approximately 84 illegal prescriptions after receiving over a dozen identifications and driver licenses from an associate to facilitate the scheme. In exchange for issuing these prescriptions, Ryder accepted cash and electronic payments.