EKB News

Twelve Letcher County residents accused of using phony medical records to obtain thousands of prescription pills through Internet pharmacies were sought Tuesday by Operation UNITE’s special Diversion Unit. Steve Whalen, postal inspector for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Lexington said roughly one of every two overnight packages delivered in Whitesburg are these pill mailings from out-of-state pharmacies. UNITE Law Enforcement Director Dan Smoot noted that with every delivery from an Internet pharmacy containing an average of 120 Hydrocodone pills. All of the pills shipped to suspects wanted in Tuesday's roundup came from United Prescription Services in Tampa, Florida. The pharmacy is registered in the state through the KASPER (Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting) system, police said, noting the pharmacy was cooperating with the investigation. According to UNITE’s Diversion Unit, the investigation began about one month ago when a doctor from Whitesburg ARH Hospital called to say he had received a falsified report. Although the doctor's name on the report was authentic, the person had not been seen as a patient.
An investigation “opened the door” to numerous other incidents where falsified documents ­ including forged MRI exam reports -- and forged prescriptions were being used to justify internet purchases of controlled medications. UNITE enlisted the help of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to track down shipments. Assisting UNITE Diversion detectives with the round-up were the Whitesburg Police Department, Fleming-Neon Police Department, Letcher County Sheriff’s Office, and Kentucky State Police. As of 2 p.m. Tuesday five of the 12 people sought had been arrested.