DOJ fines veterinarian almost $1 million for drug diversion

The United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia ordered Clara Ann Mason, DVM, of Winfield West Virginia, to $956,709 in civil penalties, which is the maximum penalty permitted under federal law. According to the Department of Justice, Mason failed to account for thousands of doses of controlled substances, including opioids.

Between March 2018 and July 2023, Mason ordered considerable amounts of hydrocodone-acetaminophen combination and oxycodone hydrochloride from a veterinary pharmaceutical wholesale supplier while practicing under a valid West Virginia veterinary license and holding DEA registration.

Mason purchased 14,200 dosage units of a hydrocodone-acetaminophen combination at 10/325 mg each, 800 dosage units of oxycodone HCL at 10 mg each, and 600 dosage units of oxycodone HCL at 5 mg each, which began to raise red flags. From 2021 to 2023, Mason ordered more hydrocodone-acetaminophen than any other customer of the supplier and from January 2021 to January 2023, her orders of oxycodone HCL represented 74% of all oxycodone HCL sales by their supplier.

“DEA registrants are responsible for handling controlled substances responsibly and ensuring complete and accurate records are being maintained in compliance with the Controlled Substance Act,” said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott, head of DEA’s Louisville Division.² “Failure to comply with controlled substance regulations puts our communities in grave danger, and any registrant who fails to meet these standards will be held accountable.”

RELATED: Myths and misconceptions surrounding DEA regulation³

Investigators executed an administrative inspection warrant at Mason’s practice on October 11, 2023, where they found controlled substances stored in unsecure locations throughout the property. Mason was then unable to produce dispensing logs, required DEA purchase forms, or federal inventory records during the search, but voluntarily surrendered her DEA registration number.

DEA agents seized all the controlled substances on site during the search and determined after conducting an inventory that at least 6,593 dosage units of hydrocodone and oxycodone were unaccounted for along with other controlled drugs.

"In the days and weeks following the execution of the warrant, Mason provided purported records alleging she dispensed large quantities of opioids to dogs and cats prior to euthanasia. Investigators believe these documents were largely fabricated. Investigators also interviewed several pet owners, and none said they witnessed Mason administering oral medications to their pets," the DOJ press release stated.

The court ruled Mason failed to secure controlled substances, failed to maintain required records, and attempted to cover those failures with falsified documents.

References

1. West Virginia veterinarian fined nearly $1M for drug diversion.News release. American Veterinary Medical Association. October 8, 2025. Accessed October 9, 2025. https://www.avma.org/news/west-virginia-veterinarian-fined-nearly-1m-drug-diversion
2. Putnam County Veterinarian Ordered to Pay $956,709 in Civil Penalties. News release. US Attorney's Office, Southern District of West Virginia. August 5, 2025. Accessed October 9, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/putnam-county-veterinarian-ordered-pay-956709-civil-penalties
3. McCafferty C. Myths and misconceptions surrounding DEA regulation. September 9, 2024. October 9, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/myths-and-misconceptions-surrounding-dea-regulation