BOISE – Susan Roberts, 57, of Eagle, Idaho was sentenced yesterday for obtaining controlled substances by fraud and identity theft by unauthorized use of a means of identification, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced Roberts to five years’ probation and to pay a $2,000 fine. Roberts pleaded guilty on May 4, 2016.
According to filed court documents, Roberts worked at a medical center that had offices in Nampa and Boise, Idaho. As a result of her employment, she had access to doctors’ names and DEA numbers and knowledge of the prescription writing process. Between October 2014 and February 2015, Roberts knowingly and intentionally forged approximately eleven prescriptions for hydrocodone-acetaminophen 10-325, a Schedule II controlled substance. In particular, she forged prescriptions using the names of Dr. H. and Dr. A, and using their assigned DEA registration numbers. These were actual doctors and their names and DEA numbers constituted means of identification as defined at 18 U.S.C. § 1028(d)(7). Roberts presented the forged prescriptions to pharmacies, and received by fraud approximately 1,320 dosage units (pills) of hydrocodone-acetaminophen 10-325, which is commonly referred to by the name brands Norco, Vicodin, or Lortab.
The case was investigated by the DEA Office of Diversion Control, assisted by the Tactical Diversion Squad.