Uniontown police file charges in 2 drug fraud cases
Uniontown police filed charges against two people Thursday accused of forging or altering prescription medication slips in separate cases.
Patrolman Thomas Kolencik, who filed charges in both cases, said Brenda M. DeWitt, 44, of South Connellsville and Clara M. Bass, 32, of Uledi allegedly altered prescription slips in an attempt to illegally obtain pain pills.
Kolencik said police were called to Walgreens, located at 180 W. Main St., on March 10 when the pharmacist working noticed a prescription DeWitt dropped off the day before was for 180 pain pills, which is an abnormally high amount.
The pharmacist, Kolencik said, called the doctor’s office the forged slip was from and was able to confirm the doctor did not prescribe DeWitt 180 pain pills.
Kolencik said DeWitt initially denied altering a prescription slip in any way but later admitted to doing so.
The criminal complaint filed in the case indicates that DeWitt told police she has an addiction and that her husband was not aware that she had been taking money out of their account to buy pills.
DeWitt was charged with forgery, identity theft and criminal attempt to posses a nonprescribed narcotic in the case.
In the second case, Kolencik said police were called to Walgreens when Bass allegedly attempted to have a forged prescription for 120 pain pills filled.
Kolencik said Bass admitted to attempting to have the prescription filled.
According to the complaint, Bass told police that her brother gave her the prescription to have filled and offered to pay her $50 for doing so.
Bass allegedly told police she had similar prescription slips filled four or five times in the past.
Bass was charged with criminal attempt to posses a non-prescribed narcotic, identity theft and driving on a suspended license.
Both women will have separate preliminary hearings at later dates before Magisterial District Judge Michael M. Metros.