NIXA, Mo.- A physician in Nixa, Mo was sentenced in federal court today after taking bribes from a drug manufacturer in exchange for prescribing its fentanyl drug to his patients. This made him ranked one of the highest in the state of Missouri in net sales of the product and 38th in the United States.

Randall Halley, 65, pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to obtain insurance coverage for a fentanyl prescription and to one count of conspiracy back in December.

Today Halley was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Halley to pay $400,565 in restitution to Medicare and to pay a fine of $150,000.

Halley was employed by Christian County Clinic in Nixa from 2004 to June 2019. He also was employed by several area skilled nursing facilities and residential care facilities. Halley was only present at the Nixa practice, at most, two days of each week, he was paid to provide care at several area nursing homes.

In his plea agreement, Halley specifically admitted that he prescribed a fentanyl prescription after falsely stating that the patient had a diagnosis of cancer. Halley knew that the patient did not have a diagnosis of cancer at that time. Former employees admit to using Halley’s DEA registration number in connection with the distribution of a controlled substance.

When not at the clinic, Halley also regularly accepted additional money to travel and speak for pharmaceutical companies. Most of these companies produced fentanyl medication and encouraged the increasing numbers of patients and dosages.

Halley made $92,225 in bribes during the relationship with the pharmaceutical companies.