LEWISTON — A local woman was sentenced Wednesday in federal court in Portland for conspiring to manufacture marijuana.

U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Stephanie Beck, 41, to 60 days in prison, plus three years of supervised release.

After serving her sentence, she’s required to seek mental health treatment, Singal ordered. She may not apply for a line of credit and must report any financial gain.

Beck pleaded guilty to the crime on April 8.

According to court records, Beck was licensed by the State of Maine Department of Professional & Financial Regulation as a certified clinical supervisor and an alcohol and drug counselor.

Between Dec. 1, 2017, and Feb. 27, 2018, she provided patient names, including the names of MaineCare recipients, to a nurse practitioner who, in turn, created fraudulent medical marijuana certifications, which allowed a marijuana trafficking conspiracy to illegally cultivate marijuana plants under the cover of the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Program.

Often, Beck facilitated the certificates even though no medical or clinical examinations had been conducted, according to court documents. In all, she helped create a dozen fraudulent certifications, allowing for the cultivation of 72 illegal marijuana plants.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Healthcare Crimes Unit of the Maine Office of Attorney General, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case.

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