Tricia Derges, a Republican member of the Missouri House Representatives was convicted on 10 counts of illegal distribution of controlled substances over the internet, 2 counts of making false statements to federal investigators, and 10 counts of wire fraud. Testimony from associates, medical experts, and local and federal officials focused on her for-profit and nonprofit clinic’s finances. She resigned as a representative of Christian County in a letter.

Some lawmakers have picked up on a bill that was filed by Tricia Derges that creates a path for assistant physicians to obtain licenses. Other lawmakers have fought the bill in an effort to tighten requirements to be licensed as a physician.

Derges was convicted after being caught fraudulently obtaining federal aid money for her nonprofit clinic, lying to patients about “stem cell” treatments that did not contain stem cells, and mixed money between the nonprofit, Lift Up Springfield, and her Ozark Valley Medical Clinic locations, reports Galen Bacharier from the Springfield News-Leader.

Tricia Derges will be sentenced in the coming months. Under Missouri law, she will not be able to run for another office. Republicans Jamie Ray Gragg and Danny Garrison, and a Democrat, Amy Freeland, are running for her seat. The jury voted to allow the government to keep $300,000 in CARES Act money for her clinic’s COVID-19 testing because it had already been reimbursed prior.

This article originally appeared in Springfield News-Leader: Tricia Derges resigns from Missouri House after federal conviction.

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