Federal authorities have charged former Bossier Parish Schools Superintendent Scott Smith with illegal receipt of mail-order prescription drugs.
Smith, 61, was charged with four misdemeanor counts of simple possession of a controlled substance because the drugs he ordered were sleep- and anti-anxiety medications intended to help him with the stresses of his job, individuals familiar with his case said. They were not narcotics like opiods, which are more strictly regulated and carry stiffer penalties.
The bill of information filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Shreveport alleges Scott possessed Valium, Ambien, Soma and Lyrica.
Smith, who was not arrested, is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Shreveport on Thursday to answer the charges. He is expected to plead guilty and faces a punishment ranging from a fine and probation to six months in jail.
Smith retired in February after federal authorities intercepted a shipment of prescription-only drugs intended for him. He was questioned and released with no charges immediately filed, then checked himself into a rehabilitation facility.
Smith’s attorney, Paul Carmouche, said his client has accepted responsibility “from the word go” and has cooperated with authorities.
The mail-order anti-anxiety drugs – which were to help Smith sleep and deal with anxiety from the stresses of a job that threatened to consume him – were for personal consumption only, Carmouche said.
“None of this was going to anybody but him – it was for his own anxieties,” Carmouche said. “He saw buying it on-line as a way to get prescription drugs without going through a doctor. He saw an ad about how to buy stuff on-line. The ads make you believe it’s all legal.”
Smith has been released as an-inpatient and is still undergoing counseling, friends told KTBS News.
Smith came under investigation as part of federal authorities' efforts to curb abuse of addictive drugs by monitoring controlled substances being shipped through the mail, according to multiple sources, all of whom spoke on condition they not be identified because it is an ongoing case.
A shipment was noticed and intercepted in the mail, the sources said. A delivery was arranged by authorities, which led to Smith.
Smith was named schools superintendent in May 2016. Individuals who know Smith describe him as under extreme stress from the pressures of his job -- much of it due to criminal charges against a teacher, accusing the teacher of inappropriate sexual contact with elementary students.
Civil suits by parents followed, alleging school system officials knew or should have know about that teacher. The school system is fighting the lawsuits. There also were suits about teaching religion in Bossier schools, and controversy after Smith threatened students with disciplinary action if they protested during the national anthem.