Former employees of plastic surgeon sentenced for stealing money, drugs

SOUTH BEND — Two former employees of Plastic Surgery Center P.C. were sentenced this morning for their roles in embezzling cash and medications from their boss. Kyleen Purcell, who worked in the front office, was sentenced to one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The 38-year-old woman pleaded guilty to stealing more than $13,000 from Dr. Stephen Zucker’s practice during her employment. Brandi Parks, 21, was sentenced to two months in prison and three years supervised release. She pleaded guilty to stealing close to 11,000 pills of hydrocodone, a highly addictive painkiller, from the doctor’s office. Parks admitted to using the pills for personal use and distributing them to her husband, according to past reports. Bobbi Pennington, Parks’ mother and a longtime employee of Zucker’s, is to be sentenced Feb. 22. She previously admitted to defrauding the practice of more than $275,000. Continue to check this Web site and read Tuesday’s South Bend Tribune for updates on this story.