DEA Grants Registration to Dr. Shannon Wagner After Review
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On October 17, 2025, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced its decision in the case of Dr. Shannon Wagner, D.O., from Green Bay, Wisconsin. Dr. Wagner had applied for a DEA Certificate of Registration, which allows doctors to prescribe certain medicines.
The Government had given Dr. Wagner an Order to Show Cause on August 13, 2024. This means the government asked Dr. Wagner to explain why they should not deny her application. The Government said Dr. Wagner had been excluded from all federal health care programs, like Medicare and Medicaid, under 42 U.S.C. 1320a-7(a).
There was a hearing before DEA Administrative Law Judge Teresa A. Wallbaum. She gave her decision on February 21, 2025, and said Dr. Wagner’s application should be granted. The DEA reviewed the whole record and agreed with the judge.
Background and Events
On August 21, 2014, in a Michigan federal court, Dr. Wagner pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks and to filing a false tax return. Based on these crimes, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) excluded her from all federal health care programs for 13 years, starting from December 18, 2014. This exclusion will end in 2027.
The DEA found clear proof that Dr. Wagner is currently excluded from these programs. The law lets the DEA deny a registration if the person is excluded from federal health care programs.
Dr. Wagner’s Response
Dr. Wagner admitted to her mistakes. She said her actions were wrong and took the blame for her crimes. She said she should have stopped the illegal activity and accepted responsibility for everything, including not stopping her husband’s actions when he managed their business.
Dr. Wagner also said she learned important lessons while in prison and working other jobs after her release. She worked as a waitress, delivery driver, cleaner, and more. She said these jobs humbled her and made her understand how important her medical license was.
To get her medical license back in Wisconsin, Dr. Wagner worked under a limited license for a year with regular reports to the Wisconsin Medical Board. After that, she got her full license. She also took about 240 hours of continuing medical education credits, much more than the state’s minimum. Dr. Wagner is making monthly restitution payments and intends to pay off the full amount of $270,000.
Remedial Measures
Dr. Wagner is not married to her co-conspirator anymore. The ALJ and the DEA said that this and her actions after prison showed she took steps to make sure her crimes would not happen again. She now plans to use her medical skills to help people in prison.
Other Factors
The DEA said Dr. Wagner’s crimes were very serious. She was part of a seven-year health care fraud conspiracy and filed a false tax return. She spent 17 months in prison, served supervised release, lost property, and has been making consistent restitution payments. Her criminal conduct ended over 13 years ago.
The DEA said Dr. Wagner’s punishment and state licensing actions were enough to prevent her from doing wrong again and to deter others. The DEA said denying her application was not needed as more punishment.
Final Decision
The DEA found that Dr. Wagner could be trusted with a DEA registration. She accepted responsibility, took real steps to correct her behavior, and showed insight into her past crimes. The DEA granted her application for a DEA Certificate of Registration. This order is effective immediately.
The decision was signed by DEA Administrator Terrance Cole on October 1, 2025, and published in the Federal Register.
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This article includes content collected from the Federal Register (federalregister.gov). The content is not an official government publication. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For case-specific consultation, please contact us. Read our full Legal Disclaimer, which also includes information on translation accuracy.
