Woman faces charges following alleged prescription drug fraud
A Fairchance woman is facing charges after police allege she claimed to be an office manager at a Florida veterinary clinic calling in what turned out to be a bogus prescription for an area dog owner.
Uniontown police Officer Michael C. Garrow Sr. said Amber Lynn Bulloch, 27, of 34 N. Morgantown Road was charged Thursday evening before Magisterial District Judge Joseph M. George Jr. with forgery and carrying a firearm without a license.
Garrow said the charges were filed Thursday after Bulloch called the Rite Aid Pharmacy at Uniontown Shopping Center.
Garrow said that Bulloch, pretending to be an office manager of a veterinary clinic located in Pensacola, Fla., told Rite Aid pharmacist Thomas Bowlin that she was calling in a prescription for a local resident, Amber Bulloch, who was a former client of the clinic and who needed pain medication for her dog that had cancer.
Bulloch, pretending to be the woman, gave Bowlin a prescription number and asked him to fill the request for 180 tablets of Vicodin, Garrow said.
After taking the call, Bowlin contacted the clinic and spoke with the office manager and the veterinarian who knew nothing of the request and were able to provide information regarding Bulloch, Garrow said.
At Garrow’s request, Bowlin called Bulloch back and played along with the request and said that the prescription would be filled and be available for pickup.
When Bulloch arrived, with a baby in tow, to pick up the prescription about 15 minutes later, Garrow said he and other officers approached her and explained that she was under arrest and attempted to take her into custody.
As police started to remove her purse from her arm, Garrow said that Bulloch told officers, “There is probably a gun in there.”
Garrow said that he found a .9mm handgun loaded with 10 rounds inside the purse.
He said the gun was seized by police, and Uniontown police secretary Jodi Ganoe was also called to respond to the location to take temporary protective custody of Bulloch’s baby. The child was later turned over to officials from Fayette County Children and Youth Services.
Garrow said that following her arrest, Bulloch admitted to making the bogus request for pain medication so she could sell the pills. She said that she and her boyfriend are in debt and need the money to pay bills, Garrow said.
Bulloch was placed in Fayette County Prison on 10 percent of $10,000 cash bond following her arraignment.
A preliminary hearing for Bulloch will be held at a later date before Magisterial District Judge Michael M. Metros.