KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A former Kansas City pharmacist who pleaded guilty in a scheme to dilute tens of thousands of prescriptions for seriously ill patients to boost profits won’t be released this week after all, according to U.S. lawmakers.
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley said in a tweet that the U.S. Justice Department informed him Thursday that 67-year-old Robert Courtney would not be released. He said it was “the right call,” adding that “COVID-19 should not be an opportunity at jailbreak for violent offenders.”
Courtney, whose own health is now failing, was sentenced to 30 years in prison in December 2002 and projected to be released in May 2027. His potential release was part of a review by the Justice Department in response to the pandemic.
U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II said the Justice Department told him the release is still under review, KMBC-TV reports.
“There are those in prison who have committed victimless crimes and are at high-risk of COVID-19 complications that, understandably, should be released for home confinement. However, Mr. Courtney is not one of these individuals. His crimes should disqualify him from early release, and I’m hopeful as the Justice Department undergoes further review of this case they will come to the same conclusion.”
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