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GREENSBORO – A Burlington woman was dealt multiple charges after being found to have obtained more than 8,000 hydrocodone pills through forged prescriptions.
Heather Smith Elliott pleaded guilty last week after obtaining 8,000 10-325 mg hydrocodone pills from CVS Pharmacy stores in Alamance and Guilford counties. Court documents show Elliott forged around 132 prescriptions for hydrocodone.
Elliott got the pills through forged and fraudulent prescriptions appearing to be written by a neurosurgeon at Duke University Medical Center. A release from the Department of Justice says Elliott altered actual Duke University Medical Center prescription forms to create fraudulent prescriptions for hydrocodone appearing to be issued by the Duke neurosurgeon for herself, as well as an ex-boyfriend, a former employee, her former husband, her son, and a neighbor. None of them were patients of the neurosurgeon. Elliott also used an ex-boyfriend’s fraudulent credit card to pay for some of the prescriptions.
Elliott pleaded guilty to:
- Two counts of obtaining hydrocodone pills by use of forged and fraudulent prescriptions
- One count of wire fraud
- One count of aggravated identity theft
Elliott faces a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of not less than three years. Her sentencing is scheduled for January 18, 2018.
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