CLEARFIELD — A former Philipsburg medical professional will be spending up to eight years in state prison for writing oxycodone prescriptions for people who were not her patients.

In January 2017, the Drug Enforcement Administration received an anonymous tip that Holly Jean Hipps, 42, Olanta, who was a physician’s assistant formerly employed at the Caring Healthcare Network in Philipsburg was writing prescriptions after her DEA registration expired in Oct. 31, 2016, according the Attorney General’s Office.

Further investigation revealed that she was reportedly writing prescriptions for people who were not her patients beginning in 2011.

Hipps signed an open plea agreement on charges of acquiring or obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, conspiracy and administration of a controlled substance by a practitioner, all felony charges.

At a previous sentencing hearing, her attorney David Hopkins argued for probation because she was threatened by someone to write the scripts.

Hopkins said that the investigator, agent Duane Musser of the AG’s office, told him at the preliminary hearing that he didn’t think she needed to go to jail.

The hearing continued to allow the court to hear testimony from Musser.

Wednesday in Clearfield County Court, Musser told President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman that he did not remember saying what Hopkins claimed about a jail sentence. In fact, he barely remembered talking with Hopkins at the preliminary hearing. He urged Ammerman to use the sentencing guidelines to determine her fate.

Musser confirmed this case involved “thousands of pills.”

Hopkins continued to say that she did what she did because she had “legitimate fear” for her family. He asked Ammerman to consider a county jail sentence or the state intermediate punishment program.

District Attorney William A. Shaw Jr. objected, noting she was a medical professional giving out pills and causing “havoc in the area” at a time when officials are battling an opioid crisis.

Hipps addressed the court saying this started as a one-time favor for someone, but she “became caught in a web.” She was afraid to go to the police or to stop after she was pressured to write the scripts “or else.”

Hopkins noted that another person involved in the case had felt threatened by Hipp’s co-defendant, Dennis Lee Lingle, 61, of Clearfield, who is also facing charges.

After considering these arguments, Ammerman sentenced Hipps to four to eight years in state prison.

Lingle’s case is still pending.