Stockton Nurse Practitioner Agrees to Pay $1.4 Million to Resolve Alleged Controlled Substance Act Violations

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced today that Joan Rubinger, a nurse practitioner in Stockton, has agreed to pay $1.4 million to resolve allegations that she violated the Controlled Substance Act on at least 900 occasions by dispensing controlled substances without any legitimate medical purpose and outside the course of professional practice. The United States contends that Rubinger sold prescriptions for controlled substances to individuals who were not her legitimate medical patients, with whom she had not established a bona fide medical provider relationship, or for whom she failed to identify and document a legitimate medical need for controlled substances.

"We remain unwavering in our commitment to hold health care providers accountable when they violate their duty to properly prescribe controlled substances," said U.S. Attorney Grant. "Our community has the right to trust that providers will prescribe these drugs only within the usual course of professional practice and only in accord with the law."

"DEA is committed to preventing, detecting, and investigating the diversion of controlled pharmaceuticals from legitimate sources. Dispensing controlled substances without any legitimate medical purpose and outside the course of professional practice is illegal, and anyone in violation will be held accountable," said Bob P. Beris, Special Agent in Charge, DEA San Francisco Field Division.

This settlement resolves the case against Rubinger, which alleged violations of the Controlled Substances Act. On March 26, 2026, the Court entered a permanent injunction requiring Rubinger to surrender the ability to dispense, or have involvement in dispensing, controlled substances in the future, directly or indirectly, including (a) dispensing or prescribing, or assisting in dispensing or prescribing, any controlled substance; (b) having an ownership interest, including partial ownership, in an entity that is in the business of dispensing controlled substances; or (c) employing any person who dispenses, or assists in dispensing, any prescription for a controlled substances for any person.

The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Amin represented the federal government.

The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.