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Albany County resident Christopher Viagrande, age 41, of Latham, is accused of distributing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice and with no legitimate medical purpose, according to a complaint filed in Albany federal court on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
Prosecutors said Viagrande, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, prescribed amphetamine to someone who was never his patient on 40 occasions between May 2021 and December 2023.
Amphetamines are stimulants that speed up the body’s system, according to the DEA. Some are legally prescribed to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Viagrande was arrested on Tuesday and ordered released on Thursday, Feb. 8. As part of his conditional release, he is prohibited from prescribing any controlled substances.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and could be fined up to $1 million.
The US Attorney’s Office is asking anyone with information about Viagrande or his Latham-based practice, Crossroads Psychiatry NP, to contact the DEA’s Albany office at 518-782-2000.
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