<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599152507759.png" alt="The Charles Evans Whittaker U.S. Courthouse in downtown Kansas City, where Courtney was sentenced to 30 years in prison in December 2002. Chris Murphy" />
 <figcaption>The Charles Evans Whittaker U.S. Courthouse in downtown Kansas City, where Courtney was sentenced to 30 years in prison in December 2002. Chris Murphy</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Robert Courtney pleaded guilty in 2001 to diluting medications over the course of nearly a decade</h2>By DAN MARGOLIES <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-09-02/federal-judge-denies-compassionate-release-to-former-kansas-city-druggist-who-diluted-cancer-meds">Kansas News Service</a>A federal judge has denied ex-pharmacist Robert Courtney’s request 
for compassionate release from prison, saying he had not demonstrated 
“extraordinary and compelling” reasons for reducing his 30-year prison 
sentence.Courtney pleaded guilty in 2001 to diluting cancer and other medications over the course of nearly a decade.Now
 67, Courtney claims to suffer from a variety of chronic, debilitating 
health conditions. He also says he is at risk of contracting COVID-19 
due to his age and poor health.But U.S. District Judge Ortrie 
Smith, the judge who sentenced Courtney to prison nearly 19 years ago, 
found none of those reasons sufficient to release Courtney from prison. 
Courtney is incarcerated in the federal penitentiary in Englewood, 
Colorado.Smith noted that the incidence of Covid-19 at Englewood 
is exceedingly low, about 0.7% of the prison population. And he said 
that Courtney’s health conditions did not place him at increased risk of
 contracting COVID-19.Courtney also argued that he had 
rehabilitated himself and been a productive inmate. But Smith said those
 were not extraordinary or compelling reasons for his release.The
 families of Courtney's families were outraged when they learned two 
months ago that the Bureau of Prisons intended to release Courtney to 
home confinement in Trimble, Missouri. The BOP eventually backtracked 
and canceled its decision. Courtney’s lawyers said the cancellation was 
due to “the numerous threats Courtney’s family received when news of his
 release” was made public.FBI and Food and Drug Administration 
agents began investigating Courtney in the summer of 2001 after Kansas 
City oncologist Verda Hunter notified them that a salesman from 
drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co. had told her Courtney was dispensing far 
more of the cancer medication Gemzar than he was purchasing.Agents
 set up a sting operation to buy drugs from Courtney, who mixed cancer 
drugs for Hunter, and discovered that the drugs were far less potent 
than Hunter had ordered. One sample contained less than 1 percent of the
 prescribed amount.Authorities said the scheme lasted for a 
decade and affected as many as 4,200 patients and 98,000 prescriptions 
for cancer medications and a variety of other drugs.Dan Margolies is senior reporter and editor at KCUR. He can be reached by email at dan@kcur.org or on Twitter @DanMargolies.

Judge denies release to former KC druggist who diluted cancer meds