Physician assistant accused of selling prescriptions

A medical professional employed in Philipsburg is headed toward trial for alleged drug offenses.

Holly Jean Hipps, 41, of Olanta, waived her right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday during centralized court in Clearfield County. Her case now moves onto the court of common pleas.

Hipps, a physician assistant, is free on $25,000, unsecured bail.

After an investigation by the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office, Hipps was charged with felony counts of conspiracy to acquire or obtain possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, acquiring or obtaining possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, and three counts of conspiracy to administer a controlled substance by a practitioner.

According to court records, Hipps wrote numerous prescriptions for oxycodone for Dennis Lee Lingle, 60, of Clearfield, in the names of his wife, her cousin and a friend.

None of these people reportedly were her patients or patients of the Caring Healthcare Network in Philipsburg where she was employed at the time.

Lingle allegedly told one of these people that he paid Hipps $1,500 for each prescription, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Hipps also allegedly wrote prescriptions for a co-worker and for a man who was a patient of hers at the Discovery House in Clearfield. An employee of that practice told investigators their employees don’t prescribe narcotics.

Some of the more than 100 prescriptions were written as early as 2011 and the last two were written after her DEA license expired at the end of October 2016.

Lingle faces similar, related charges. He also waived his right to a hearing Wednesday and is free on $50,000 bail.

This story was originally published January 26, 2018 at 5:48 PM with the headline "Physician assistant accused of selling prescriptions."