A federal grand jury in the Middle District of Louisiana has indicted Darrion Denard Brooks, 28, of Houston, Texas, on charges related to a scheme to obtain controlled substances through fraudulent prescriptions and sell them illegally.
Court documents allege that Brooks and others used fake identification information to secure fraudulent prescriptions for controlled substances. These prescriptions were issued for patients who either did not exist or had not been authorized by medical providers. The indictment states that from November 2023 through March 2025, Brooks and his co-conspirators obtained controlled substances from pharmacies in Baton Rouge and other locations using Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration numbers and other identifiers belonging to at least five medical professionals without their consent.
The scheme reportedly resulted in at least 11 fraudulent prescriptions for codeine and other controlled substances being filled at eight different pharmacies across Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee.
Brooks faces one count of conspiracy to acquire and obtain controlled substances by fraud with intent to distribute, as well as four counts of obtaining possession of controlled substances by fraud. Each count carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison if convicted. Sentencing will be determined by a federal judge after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutory factors.
"Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall for the Middle District of Louisiana; Assistant Administrator Cheri Oz of the DEA Diversion Control Division; and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement."
The investigation is being conducted by DEA and HHS-OIG.
Trial Attorney Zakeria A. Haidary from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen L. Craig are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Fraud Section leads efforts against health care fraud through its Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since its inception in March 2007, this program has operated nine strike forces in 27 federal districts and charged over 5,800 defendants accused of billing federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion collectively. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services also work with HHS-OIG to hold providers accountable for involvement in such schemes. More details are available at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
It is noted that an indictment is only an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
