Latham nurse practitioner admits to writing unnecessary prescriptions

A nurse practitioner from Latham has pleaded guilty to writing prescriptions for drugs – mostly amphetamine – to people who did not need them.

Christopher Viagrande, 42, admitted in U.S. District Court that from May 2021 through January 2024, he wrote a total of 149 controlled substance prescriptions to five people without a legitimate medical purpose, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Most were for amphetamine, investigators said.

Viagrande also told the court that he wrote another 28 prescriptions for two people from June 2019 to April 2020.

Viagrande will be sentenced at a later date. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million. He also is required to surrender his DEA registration, which allows him to prescribe controlled substances.