Attorney General Corbett & PA State Police announce arrests in Southwestern PA prescription forgery ring

Transcription

1 Friday, April 23, 2010 Attorney General Corbett & PA State Police announce arrests in Southwestern PA prescription forgery ring HARRISBURG Eighteen suspects, who allegedly participated in a prescription forgery ring that operated throughout southwestern Pennsylvania, were charged today by the Attorney General s Office and Pennsylvania State Police. Attorney General Tom Corbett said the 10-month joint investigation, known as Operation Cracked Scripts focused on Barbara Dodson, a Washington County woman who was the ring leader of the half million dollar ring. Corbett said that Dodson and at least 18 co-conspirators obtained thousands of Oxycodone pills, using forged prescriptions, from at least 17 pharmacies in Fayette, Westmoreland, Allegheny, and Washington counties. We believe this organization was responsible for illegally obtaining approximately 250,000 milligrams of Oxycodone with an estimated street-value of more than $500,000, Corbett said. This was a highly structured operation that fueled such a large demand in southwestern Pennsylvania that a number of additional operations spun off from the main organization, Corbett said.

2 -2- Evidence and testimony regarding the alleged activity was presented to a statewide investigating grand jury, which recommended the criminal charges being filed today. According to the grand jury, Dodson used a computer and various paper types to create fraudulent prescriptions and forged doctors names along with prescription details. On each prescription she allegedly replaced the prescribing doctors office phone number with a pre-paid mobile phone number, allowing her to field calls from suspicious pharmacists. Corbett said that when Dodson received a call on the pre-paid phones she allegedly pretended to be a receptionist from the prescribing physician s office. Dodson went to great lengths to cover-up her criminal activity, Corbett said. She even went as far as using her left hand to forge scripts so that she could pass a hand writing analysis if ever caught. The grand jury found that Dodson routinely contacted each pharmacy before filling a script to determine if Oxycodone was in stock. She then gave the forged scripts to coconspirators who were responsible for passing them at area pharmacies. According to the grand jury, Dodson created false addresses, dates of birth and phony names for members of her organization. She traveled with them to purchase pills, which she referred to as cracking scripts, but remained in the car to field calls from pharmacists. Corbett said that the suspects filling the scripts gave Dodson the pills once in the car, received a specific number of Oxycodone for their participation and were able to purchase additional pills at a discounted rate. The grand jury identified the following suspects as members of Dodson s organization: Marcie Neal; Michael Waddell; Ashley Furlong; Alexander Storez; Alyssa Luckasevic; Michelle Anton; Alicia Norkus; Cassie Thorpe; Lee Rotolo; Karen Butcher; Jessie Snyder; Christopher Bujanowski; Randal Carlson; and Diane Furlong.

3 -3- Corbett said members of the organization made 56 trips to at least 17 area pharmacies including: Heiber s Pharmacy, 3500 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, Allegheny County; Bloomfield Drug Store, 4727 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, Allegheny County; Medmart, Chatawhochee Square, Connellsville, Fayette County; Burns Drug Store, 110 West Crawford Ave., Connellsville, Fayette County; Med-Fast Pharmacy -Kuhn s Market, 4801 McKnight Road, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County; Rite Aid, Route 30, Greensburg, Westmoreland County; Wal Mart, 100 Colony Lane, Latrobe, Westmoreland County; Med-Fast Pharmacy, 5375 William Flynn Highway, Gibsonia, Allegheny County; Giant Eagle, 4680 Old William Penn Highway, Monroeville, Allegheny County; Giant Eagle, Route 30, Greensburg, Westmoreland County; Shop-N-Save, 150 Walnut Hill Road, Uniontown, Fayette County; Target, 8931 US Route 30, Irwin, Westmoreland County; Medicine Shoppe, 1234 West Main St, Monongahela, Washington County; Tenth Street Pharmacy, 938 Fallowfield Ave., Charleroi, Washington County; Hometown Pharmacy (Rostraver Shop-N-Save), 4627 Route 51, Suite 602, Willowbrook Plaza, Belle Vernon, Westmoreland County; Brownsville Family Pharmacy, 25 Market St., Brownsville, Fayette County; and Jeffrey s Drug Store, 66 West Pike St., Canonsburg, Washington County. The grand jury found that Jessie Snyder approached Alicia Norkus in April 2009 about passing forged scripts. Snyder and Norkus worked together and allegedly passed two prescriptions in April 2009 for more than 300 Oxycodone pills. According to the grand jury, another operation that spun off of Dodson s organization was initiated by Marcie Neal. Neal allegedly told Jonathan Guydan that she used to pass forged prescriptions with Barbie but was now doing it on her own. -4-

4 Corbett said Neal allegedly created fraudulent prescriptions and forged the doctors name and then had Guydan help her pass the scripts at area pharmacies. The two allegedly passed six prescriptions between Oct. 30, 2009 and Jan. 15, 2010 for nearly 900 Oxycodone tablets. Corbett thanked the Pennsylvania State Police, the Canonsburg Police Department and the Castle Shannon Police Department for their assistance with the investigation. The case will be prosecuted in Westmoreland County by Deputy Attorney General Tomm Mutschler of the Attorney General s Drug Strike Force Section. Below is a list of the defendants and the charges against them. --Barbara Dodson, 37, 410 Coal Alley, Belle Vernon, Fayette County, is charged with 12 counts of possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception or subterfuge, 12 counts of possession of a controlled substance, 12 counts of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance, three counts of conspiracy, two counts of forgery, two counts of corrupt organizations and one count of criminal use of a communication facility. --Marcie Neal, 27, 12 London St., Monongahela, Washington County, is charged with seven counts of possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception or subterfuge, seven counts of possession of a controlled substance, seven counts of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance, four counts of conspiracy, three counts of forgery, and two counts of corrupt organizations --Christopher Michael Bujanowski, 38, 410 Coal Alley, Belle Vernon, Fayette County, is charged with two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception or subterfuge, one count of possession of a controlled substance, and one count of conspiracy. -5-

5 --Michael Waddell, 27, Address Unknown, is charged with three counts of conspiracy, two counts of corrupt organization, one count of possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception or subterfuge, one count of possession of a controlled substance, one count of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance, and one count of forgery. --Ashley Furlong, 21, Address Unknown, is charged with three counts of conspiracy, two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception or subterfuge, one count of possession of a controlled substance, one count of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance, and one count of forgery. --Alexander Storez, 25, 60 Cullen Drive, Charleroi, Washington County, is charged with three counts of conspiracy, two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception or subterfuge, one count of possession of a controlled substance, one count of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance, and one count of forgery. --Alyssa Luckasevic, 24, 1118 Lincoln Ave., Apt. 2, Charleroi, Washington County, is charged with three counts of conspiracy, two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of possession of a --Michelle Anton, 27, 11 Grand St., Belle, Vernon, Fayette County, is charged with three counts of conspiracy, two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of possession of a -6-

6 --Gary Bova, 55, 11 Grand St., Belle Vernon, Fayette County, is charged with two counts of conspiracy. --Amanda Jay, 25, 1332 Summit Ave., Monessen, Westmoreland County, is charged with --Alicia Norkus, 28, 700 First St., Charleroi, Washington County, is charged with three counts of conspiracy, one count of possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge, one count of possession of a controlled substance, one count of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance, and one count of forgery. --Cassie Thorpe, 26, 1562 Grange Road, Charleroi, Washington County, is charged with --Lee Rotolo, 25, 610 State St., Baden, Beaver County, is charged with three counts of conspiracy, two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge, one count of possession of a controlled substance, one count of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance, and one count of forgery. -7-

7 --Karen Butcher, 28, 324 Fourth St., Apt. #4, Monesson, Westmoreland County, is charged with three counts of conspiracy, two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of possession of a --Diane Furlong, 42, 65 Vista Hollow Road, Allenport, Washington County, is charged with --Jessie Snyder, 25, 281 Grandview Ave., Charleroi, Washington County, is charged with count of possession of a controlled substance, and one count of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance. --Randal Carlson, 22, 30 Knox Ave., Monesson, Westmoreland County, is charged with three counts of conspiracy, two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of possession of a --Jonathon Guydan, 27, 25 Crestview Estates, New Eagle, Washington County, is charged with five counts of possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge, five counts of possession of a controlled substance, five counts of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance, and three counts of conspiracy. (A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty.) # # #