Latham nurse practitioner pleads guilty to unlawful drug distribution

LATHAM, N.Y. ( NEWS10 ) — The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Christopher Viagrande, 42, of Latham, has pleaded guilty to distributing drugs outside of professional practice while working as a nurse practitioner. Viagrande was arrested on February 6 .

As part of his guilty plea, Viagrande admitted to issuing a total of 149 controlled substance prescriptions to five people for no legitimate medical purpose between May 2021 and January 2024. The vast majority of the prescriptions were for amphetamines.

Viagrande faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and at least three years of post-release supervision when he is sentenced. He also surrendered his DEA registration as part of his plea agreement, which had allowed him to prescribe controlled substances.

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