The Attorney General’s Office announced that Dr. Catherine A. Cech, 64, of Arlington, Vermont, was arraigned today on one felony count of Prescription Fraud. The charge brought against Dr. Cech is the result of an investigation, including the issuance of subpoenas and interviews conducted by the Secretary of State’s Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The investigation was initiated when investigators received information alleging that Dr. Cech, a licensed dentist in the state of Vermont, had been purchasing controlled substances for personal use by using her assigned DEA registration number.
Dr. Cech pleaded not guilty at her arraignment today in Vermont Superior Court, Bennington Unit, Criminal Division. The Court, Judge Kerry Ann McDonald-Cady presiding, ordered conditions of release which restrict Dr. Cech’s access to controlled substances.
The mission of OPR is to protect the public from incompetent or unethical practitioners through a system of licensure. OPR’s Enforcement Division investigates allegations of unprofessional conduct by individuals licensed by the office, including allegations that warrant criminal charges.
The Attorney General’s Office emphasizes that individuals charged with a crime are legally presumed innocent until their guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CONTACT: Lauren Jandl, Chief of Staff, 802-828-3171