Three arrested for possible illegal prescriptions

Police investigate possible illegal prescription use

Police investigate possible illegal prescription use

(Fort Gratiot Township) – An alert pharmacist at the Fort Gratiot Walmart store helped place three suspected prescription fraud suspects in custody. According to St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon, the pharmacist requested deputies to respond to the store regarding possible prescription fraud shortly before 1:00 Sunday afternoon. When deputies arrived, the pharmacist said he had filled a prescription from a doctor out of Saginaw on Saturday night for ibuprofen 800 mg and a cough syrup containing codeine. On Sunday, another person came in with a prescription for the same medicine from the same doctor. The pharmacist said he contacted the doctor, who told him the prescriptions were fraudulent.

Deputies located and apprehended the first suspect, a 23 year old man from Lexington, Kentucky at the pharmacy counter. They then found and arrested the two other suspects, a 23 year old woman from Muskegon and a 36 year old man from Oak Park, in the Walmart parking lot. Deputies searched the suspect’s vehicle, where they located and seized ibuprofen 800 mg, promethazine with codeine syrup, alprazolam and Percocet pills, marijuana, a laptop computer, printer, faked prescriptions and cash.

Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office are continuing the investigation of this case. It is believed the suspects may have conducted the same type of fraud in other jurisdictions in the state. The suspects are lodged at the St. Clair County Intervention and Detention Center.

They are expected to be arraigned Tuesday in 72nd District Court on charges including prescription fraud.