SOUTH BEND — Three employees of a plastic surgery practice, including its longtime office manager, have pleaded guilty to embezzling money and drugs from the firm.

Bobbi R. Pennington, 49; Kyleen Purcell, 38; and Brandi Parks, 21, have pleaded guilty to the federal crimes against Plastic Surgery Center P.C. and its principal, Dr. Stephen Zucker, according to court records.

Pennington, who had been Zucker’s office manager for 24 years, had been given substantial freedom to direct the activities of the office, including the discretion to write and sign checks on the office checking account. From 2007 through 2009, she admitted to writing checks out to herself and Purcell, and to third-party vendors for services she consumed personally, according to her plea agreement.

Her fraud totaled more than $275,000.

Purcell, who worked in the front office, admitted that her crimes cost the firm more than $13,000.

Parks admitted to stealing more than 10,500 pills of hydrocodone, a highly addictive pain killer, and other prescription drugs, and distributing them to other people, including her husband. She also admitted to generating fraudulent prescriptions for hydrocodone.

Using an account the practice had with a drug supply company, Parks ordered the drugs without authorization and then would remove them from the shipment when it came in, she admitted in her plea agreement.

Pennington and Purcell face up to 20 years in prison for mail fraud. Parks faces up to five years in prison for unlawfully distributing controlled substances.

Pennington and Parks were set to make their initial court appearances Thursday. Purcell, who was charged first, is set for sentencing Jan. 11.

None of the women have been arrested, according to jail and court records.

Staff writer Jeff Parrott:
jparrott@sbtinfo.com
(574) 235-6320