Veterinarian receives probation for diverting opioids for personal use

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced earlier this week that Brenda Brown-Carlson, a veterinarian in Portland, Oregon, was sentenced to supervised probation for 60 months in Multnomah County Circuit Court as part of a plea agreement. According to the DEA, Brown-Carlson entered the plea agreement after admitting to diverting controlled substances for personal use and replacing them with saline.

“[The] DEA has a long-standing relationship of trust and partnership with veterinary providers who are authorized to handle and administer controlled substances to care for animals that are sick,” Robert A. Saccone, special agent in charge for the DEA Seattle Field Division, said in an organizational release.1 “Brown-Carlson abused that relationship and trust by diverting prescription drugs for her own personal use and, in doing so, compromised the care of more than 200 animals.”

Court documents stated that Brown-Carlson diverted hydromorphone, a Schedule II controlled substance, buprenorphine (Schedule III), and butorphanol (Schedule IV) for her personal use.1 Because she diverted the medications, animals undergoing surgery and other medical procedures received diluted doses because she replaced the taken medication with saline, compromising the care of these patients. Coworkers of Brown-Carlson started to become aware of drug discrepancies and reviewed the computerized drug-dispensing machine, records, and surveillance footage at the clinic. Brown-Carlson was then seen on security footage diverting the substances and then refilling vials with saline.

The clinic reported the diversion to the DEA in Portland in February 2024, and a diversion investigator from the DEA Seattle Field Division, Portland District Office, initiated an investigation and reviewed the collected evidence. The footage was then shown to Brown-Carlson, who denied the diversion despite the video evidence but later admitted to it.1 According to the DEA, once she admitted to the conduct, she showed little remorse and surrendered her DEA Certificate of Registration.

A state indictment was issued after testimony by the DEA diversion investigator before a Multnomah County grand jury. She was arrested and charged with 14 felony counts of tampering with drug records, 13 felony counts of computer crimes, and 2 felony counts of animal neglect in the second degree, involving more than 40 animals.

Brown-Carlson pleaded guilty to reduced charges and was sentenced on January 13, 2026, to 60 months of supervised probation as part of the plea agreement. The conditions of her probation prohibit her from being employed by any business with the primary purpose of treating animals, having contact with animals during probation, except that she may own and care for her own pets. However, she cannot provide veterinary care for her own pets or any other pets and may only have contact with them if their owners are present.1

“This sentence makes clear that drug-related crime has consequences, but it also acknowledges that meaningful accountability includes addressing addiction through structured treatment to reduce the risk of reoffending in the future,” said Nathan Vasquez, Multnomah County district attorney.1

She pled guilty to 1 felony count of tampering with drug records, 2 felony counts of computer crimes, and 1 felony count of attempted animal neglect in the second degree. Action being taken by the Oregon Veterinary Medical Examining Board about her state veterinary license is pending, as is a civil penalty for violations of the Controlled Substances Act related to Brown-Carlson’s DEA Certificate of Registration. 

Reference

1. Portland veterinarian sentenced for diverting controlled substances for personal use. News release. US Drug Enforcement Administration. January 20, 2026. Accessed January 23, 2026. https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2026/01/20/portland-veterinarian-sentenced-for-diverting-controlled-substances-for