Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons Colette Peters opposing the pending release of Robert Courtney. Courtney was sentenced to thirty years in federal prison after diluting tens of thousands of prescription medications for his own profit. Courtney is scheduled for transfer to a halfway house in June, before his sentence is completed.
“Courtney’s greed led him to dilute 98,000 prescriptions, placing countless vulnerable Missourians at risk and sparking hundreds of wrongful death lawsuits […] The protection of the public must always be the Bureau’s primary duty. Releasing Courtney early, even if only to a halfway house, is an abdication of that duty,” wrote Senator Hawley.
In 2020, Senator Hawley called for Courtney to serve his entire sentence in prison when he was set to be released early due to COVID protocols.
Read the full letter here or below.
April 18, 2024
Colette Peters
Director
Federal Bureau of Prisons
320 1st Street NW
Washington, DC 20534
Dear Director Peters:
I write to express my strong opposition to the Bureau’s decision to release Kansas City pharmacist Robert Courtney, who diluted thousands of medication prescriptions for thousands of Missouri patients.
Courtney’s greed led him to dilute 98,000 prescriptions, placing countless vulnerable Missourians at risk and sparking hundreds of wrongful death lawsuits. Mr. Courtney is unarguably a danger to the public and should serve out the entirety of his 30-year prison term.
The protection of the public must always be the Bureau’s primary duty. Releasing Courtney early, even if only to a halfway house, is an abdication of that duty. For the safety and security of law-abiding Missourians, I urge you to reconsider the decision to begin releasing Mr. Courtney before his sentence is fully served.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Josh Hawley
United States Senator