01/27/2025
Prison Time for Leader in RICO Case Involving Fraudulent Prescriptions
District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway announces that on January 15 a multi-defendant RICO case was closed when the final defendant entered a negotiated guilty plea and was sentenced.
This case involved a total of six defendants who associated together as a criminal enterprise for the common purpose of illegally obtaining prescriptions using a stolen doctor’s prescription pad. The medications included Adderall, Alprazolam, Hydrocodone, Phentermine, and Tramadol.
The leader of the enterprise, Leslie Joann Archambault, 49, was sentenced on January 26, 2023, to 15 years with the first three years to serve in prison and the remainder to serve on probation.
“This defendant has a history of committing fraud in one form or another, manipulating and using family members and friends to acquire medications that were not legally prescribed to her,” said Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Damion Overstreet, of the Gang and Organized Crime Unit. “In this case, she tried to outsmart authorities by recruiting other individuals to assist her in her scheme. Fortunately, an extensive CMANS investigation put a stop to this organized crime.”
In September 2022, law enforcement first became aware of this illegal activity when a Roswell medical practice discovered that Archambault, who was a former employee, had been filling prescriptions by fraudulently using a doctor’s credentials.
The Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad (CMANS) investigation determined that Archambault obtained prescription pads while employed at the medical practice. She used those prescription pads to write prescriptions for the co-defendants (her associates in the enterprise). Archambault wrote prescriptions for medications for herself as well as for medications her associates requested.
Prescriptions were filled at pharmacies throughout Cherokee County.
During the prosecution of this case, the six co-defendants entered negotiated guilty pleas on different dates from 2022-2025. Their sentences are as follows:
• Gina Marie Moson, 49, negotiated guilty plea on January 15, 2025, to violation of RICO Act, sentenced to two years to serve on probation.
• Jeffrey Moson, 46, negotiated guilty plea on December 6, 2024, to violation of RICO Act, sentenced to three years to serve on probation.
• Jessica Rose Weaver, 38, negotiated guilty plea on April 19, 2023, to violation of RICO Act, sentenced to three years to serve on probation.
• Cathy Rebecca Hudson, 41, negotiated guilty plea on June 15, 2023, to violation of RICO Act, sentenced to two years to serve on probation.
• Leslie Joann Archambault, 49, negotiated guilty plea on January 26, 2023, to violation of RICO Act, sentenced to 15 years, with the first three years to serve in prison and the remainder to serve on probation.
• Bryan Omae Chirangu, 35, negotiated guilty plea on December 13, 2022, to fraud or theft in obtaining controlled substance and possession of a scheduled IV controlled substance, sentenced to five years to serve on probation.
“By utilizing the RICO Act in the prosecution of this case, we were able to attribute specific acts committed to each co-conspirator while clearly showing that one defendant was the mastermind behind the enterprise,” said District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to combat all forms of organized criminal activity in Cherokee County.”
The case was investigated by the Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad, with assistance from the Holly Springs Police Department. It was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Damion Overstreet, of the Gang and Organized Crime Unit, Office of the District Attorney, Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit.
