A Connecticut nurse has pleaded guilty to illegally distributing controlled substances.
Michele Rene Muzyka, 61, of Cheshire waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty during a hearing on Wednesday in federal court in New Haven, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut said in a news release Friday. She pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, distribution of, and dispensing of controlled substances, officials said.
According to authorities, Muzyka, an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, unlawfully distributed amphetamines and benzodiazepines to individuals who did not have a legitimate medical need between January 2024 and June 2025. During office visits, she reportedly did not conduct medical examinations of some patients and did not “confirm conditions that would medically require treatment using these controlled substances,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Federal officials said Muzyka charged patients $200 in cash and unknowingly prescribed controlled substances to an undercover agent who posed as a Medicaid beneficiary. Though she was enrolled as a Medicare and Medicaid provider, Muzyka reportedly declined to take the agent’s Medicaid plan and instead charged a $200 cash fee, officials said. Medicaid paid about $287 for the unlawful prescriptions written for the undercover agent, according to authorities.
Muzyka, who was arrested last June, is free on $75,000 bond while she awaits her sentencing hearing on April 30. Officials said the charge she pled to carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.