Dr. Craig Ralston, 47, was granted shock probation by Circuit Court Judge Robert Costanzo on Thursday. His release from custody is delayed shortly because of an error in the judgment, according to the Circuit Court Clerk’s office. Ralston will be released from federal prison in Manchester after the mistake is processed.
Prosecutors from the Attorney General’s (AG) office stated in the guilty plea that they would not oppose shock probation on the defendant’s first motion “if all restitution and investigation costs are paid in full.”
Judge Costanzo said in his order for granting shock probation that he had given “due consideration” to the recommendation from the Office of the Attorney General, the pre-sentence investigation, and the circumstances of the defendant’s crime and character.
Ralston will be put on supervised probation after his release for a period of five years, according to the order.
Under 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 for an offender.
In the plea, it states that Ralston “devised a scheme... to obtain payments from the Kentucky Medical Assistance Program (KMAP), by billing KMAP for dental extractions which he either did not perform, or were medically inappropriate and not billable.”
It continues, stating that “as part of the scheme... Ralston trafficked in a controlled substance in the second degree by knowingly and unlawfully supplying (three individuals) with prescriptions for hydrocodone, a Schedule III controlled substance, for services which either were not performed or were medically inappropriate.”
“Basically, he got people hooked on hydrocodone,” said AG special prosecutor Chris Melton.
Ralston was also indicted on five counts of jury tampering, a Class D felony, during his Medicaid fraud trial in June 17, 2009. Those charges were dismissed in the plea agreement.
Stephen Woodward is a Staff Writer for the Daily News. He may be contacted at swoodward@middlesborodailynews.com.
If enough people vote against, it will at least send a message. If you're fed up with Bell County politics, make the effort to get to the polls and use what little voice you have left - before that's gone, too.
Yes,. Mr, Play the Game.. And the D.A. People around here will do just that ..
Guess What !! Y'ALL get to vote this Judge right back in Office This Election.