PINEVILLE — A former Bell County dentist who pleaded guilty to Medicaid Fraud and drug trafficking, who was also indicted for jury tampering, was sentenced to five years in prison Monday in Bell County Circuit Court.

But Dr. Craig Ralston may get out much sooner.

Kentucky Attorney General’s special prosecutor Chris Melton said that the Commonwealth would not object to Ralston receiving shock probation after 30 days incarceration.

“We would have no objection to shock on the Medicaid or drug trafficking charges,” said Melton.

According to the plea agreement, “if all restitution and investigative costs are paid in full, the Commonwealth would have no objection to shock probation in the defendant’s first motion.”

Under the new Kentucky law, an offender sent to jail for a misdemeanor or felony may be granted shock probation by a judge after serving between 30 to 60 days. The reasoning is that a brief exposure to prison life will be enough punishment.

Melton elaborated on Ralston’s case. He said that the former dentist had previously lost his dental license for five years because of the “same conduct.” When those same allegations came up again, the Attorney General’s office stepped in to prosecute the criminal charges.

Melton said that the Attorney General’s office had Ralston’s former patients lined up to testify in a trial that they had now become drug addicts and had drugs supplied to them. He added that several of them were in prison right now on drug charges.

“Basically, he got people hooked on hydrocodone,” said Melton.

Circuit Court Judge Robert Costanzo interjected and said he didn’t think they should get into that.

Defense Attorney William Butler asked Judge Costanzo if he would allow Ralston to be held in the Bell County Detention Center, instead of be shipped off to Oldham County for processing. The Judge said he would not object to that, but the decision would not be up to him.

Ralston has served 46 days in the Bell County Detention Center already and has paid restitution costs.

On February 17, 2009, Ralston was on trial in Bell County Circuit Court for charges of defrauding the Kentucky Medicaid Assistance Program. During a break in the proceedings, Ralston allegedly attempted to influence some of the jurors in that case by making comments to them outside of the courtroom, according to a press release from the Attorney General. Because of his actions, a mistrial was ordered and he was held in contempt of court and taken into custody. He was then indicted on five counts of jury tampering, a Class D felony, on June 17, 2009. Those charges were dismissed in the plea agreement.