Uniontown man gets probation in pill-sharing case
A Uniontown man who was once a patient of a former podiatrist accused involving several patients in a painkiller-sharing scheme was sentenced to probation in Fayette County Court on Wednesday.
President Judge John F. Wagner Jr. ordered Robert Woleslagle, 57, to spend two years on probation and provide truthful testimony and cooperation against any co-defendants in the case.
At the request of deputy state attorney general Dennis Kistler, Wagner also ordered Woleslagle to undergo a drug and alcohol assessment and follow any recommendations that follow.
Woleslagle, represented by attorney Vince Tiberi, pleaded guilty on Dec. 3 to acquiring a controlled substance through misrepresentation and conspiracy to commit the same. He expressed remorse at Wednesday’s hearing.
“I’m ashamed about it,” said Woleslagle. “I’m sorry to the court. I’m sorry I ever got involved in it.”
According to court documents, Woleslagle was a patient of William Ainsley’s. Both men, along with five other former patients, were charged in February with insurance fraud and drug violations following a joint investigation between the state attorney general’s office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Over the course of two-and-a-half years, Ainsley wrote nearly 200 prescriptions for hydrocodone in quantities ranging from 40 to 120 tablets, investigators reported. According to testimony, Ainsley would prescribe the opioid painkiller and ask the co-conspirators to share a portion of the pills back to him for his own use.
Some of the prescriptions were covered by patients’ insurance plans, prosecutors alleged.
Woleslagle told investigators that he would return the extra pills to Ainsley in exchange for $200 each time, court records state. Woleslagle reportedly told investigators his conscience began to trouble him and that he was remorseful for continuing to enable Ainsley’s addiction.