The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa announced Friday, that 46-year old Rebecca Canfield, a resident of Cass County, was sentenced in Council Bluffs U-S District Court, to 30 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and health care fraud. Canfield will serve 48 months of supervised release following her release from prison.

In August of 2015, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) received information regarding the illegal distribution of prescription drugs in and around Cass County (Iowa). An investigation revealed Mary Mayo and Rebecca Canfield obtained prescriptions for oxycodone from medical professionals through false representations of injury or illness and related pain management. Canfield used her Medicare/Medicaid benefits to obtain oxycodone from local pharmacies. Once the prescription drugs were obtained, Canfield provided the oxycodone to co-defendant Mary Mayo for resale.

During the course of the investigation it was determined Canfield also received Social Security benefits to which she was not entitled. As part of her sentence, Canfield was ordered to pay restitution to Medicare/Medicaid, and the Social Security Administration. Previously sentenced were: Mary Mayo, sentenced to 24 months imprisonment followed by 48 months of supervised release; Tony Martin May, sentenced to 12 months of imprisonment followed by 36 months of supervised release; Jessica Lynn Gross, sentenced to time served and 60 months of supervised release; and Alex Lee Pleis, sentenced to time served and 36 months of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the DEA; Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General; Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit; Social Security Administration-Office of the Inspector General; Cass County Sheriff’s Office; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force. The matter was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.