Megan Elsbury, a 43-year-old pharmacist from Mason City, Iowa, has been sentenced to one month in federal prison. This follows her guilty plea on February 7, 2025, to acquiring controlled substances through misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge.
Elsbury admitted in a plea agreement that she worked at three different pharmacies in Mason City from 2008 to 2023. During this time, she diverted controlled substances such as codeine and phentermine for personal use. She created unauthorized prescriptions and falsified records under existing patients’ names when the pharmacy was closed.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Elsbury in Sioux City. In addition to her prison term, she will serve a one-year supervised release period after completing her sentence. The federal system does not allow parole.
Elsbury is currently released on bond and must surrender to the United States Marshals by July 14, 2025.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Control Division investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons prosecuted it.
