TOPEKA—A Manhattan woman who worked in a doctor’s office was sentenced Monday to two years of federal probation after pleading guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully distribute prescription drugs, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Sarah Harding-Huffine, 30, Manhattan, Kansas, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute prescription drugs. In her plea, she admitted that she conspired with co-defendant Dr. Michael P. Schuster while he was doing business as Manhattan Pain and Spine and New Medical Group PC at 1135 Westport Drive in Manhattan, Kansas. Although the defendant was not a licensed health care provider and she did not have a drug registration number from the Drug Enforcement Administration, she distributed controlled substances to Schuster’s patients using pre-signed blank prescription pads.

She distributed controlled substances including oxycodone to patients while Schuster was out of the office at various times traveling to Russia, South Africa, Canada, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, Israel, Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.

Co-defendant Michael P. Schuster pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and was sentenced to five years in federal prison.

Grissom commended the Riley County Police Department; the FBI; the Department of Defense, Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS); the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (DHS-HSI); the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Treadway, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag; and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Graham for their work on the case.