Robert Ray Courtney Case Background in 1998,

Robert Ray Courtney Case Background In 1998, One of Robert Courtney's sales employees, Eli Lilly, noticed inconsistencies between the quantity of the cancer drug Gemzar that Courtney shipped in and the amount he sold. Lilly upon investigation of the issue was unsuccessful in unearthing any evidence of illegality and concluded the issue without further action. Two years later, Eli mentioned the issue to a medical practitioner who worked in the same building who was also a customer.

This medical practitioner, working as an oncologist took a sample of the medication for testing and the results revealed that the prescription was diluted, she notified authorities. It is estimated that Courtney diluted almost 100,000 prescriptions between 1990 and 2001, which were administered to over 4000 patients. In 2002, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to 20 counts of tampering and adulterating the chemotherapy drugs Taxol and Gemzar.

He also confessed that he and his company Courtney Pharmacy Inc., had diluted drugs, conspired to traffic in stolen drugs and filled made up Medicare claims. He was also named in over 300 suits for fraud and wrongful death. The investigations further revealed that Courtney gave $80,000 in cash, for turning himself in. Biographical Description of the Defendant and His Company Robert Courtney was born in Hays, Kansas to a traveling minister based in Scott City (Draper, 2003).

He went to Wichita South High School and later graduated from the School of Pharmacy at University of Missouri -- Kansas City in 1975 to which he also became a large donor after graduation (Southeast Missourian, 2001). He also served as a deacon at a Kansas City church. He divorced in 1992, but retained custody of his two children, he married a second time, but the marriage did not last a week, his third marriage to Laura gave them twins (Draper, 2003). Courtney formed Courtney Pharmacy Inc.

In 1987 and was the president (Montgomery & Stearns, 2001). This company was involved in dispensing and prescribing pharmaceuticals at the Research Medical Tower Pharmacy, 6420 Prospect Avenue in Kansas City. He also owned Courtney Pharmacy located in a medical office building under a lease by Shawnee Mission Medical Center at 8901 W. 74th St. In Merriam (Montgomery & Stearns, 2001). The Criminal and Contractual Aspects of the Case Robert Courtney was found guilty of committing eight counts of "product tampering causing serious bodily injury and twelve counts of adulterating.