Ironton residents arrested for prescription fraud
Two Ironton residents will appear in court Thursday for counsel hearings after they were arrested last week for prescription fraud.
According to a Fredericktown Police Department probable cause statement, a call was received Oct. 21 from a pharmacy in Fredericktown regarding prescription fraud. The investigating detective determined Rickie Brown, of Ironton, had been obtaining Hydrocodone by misrepresentation.
The statement also says Brown’s fiancee, Melissa Townsley, had been contacting two pharmacies in Madison County and misrepresenting herself as a doctor’s assistant from a medical office in St. Louis. There had been 17 recorded transactions with Townsley between July 29 and Oct. 21, 2013 at the two pharmacies.
Brown was arrested at one of the pharmacies Oct. 21, as he was leaving with 120 Hydrocodone pills. The prescription had been called in by Townsley. It was determined Brown had obtained more than 1,400 Hydrocodone pills since July 29 from the two Madison County pharmacies.
According to the police statement, a call was made by a detective to the doctor’s office in St. Louis and it was discovered the Hydrocodone prescriptions had not originated from that office. The doctor stated the office has a policy not to call in narcotics prescriptions.
Brown and Townsley have each been charged with 17 counts of fraudulently attempting to obtain a controlled substance, a class D felony. Brown and Townsley appeared in court Thursday and both asked for a bond reduction. Thursday, both were still in custody on $25,000 bonds.
Special Prosecuting Attorney Pat King said he opposed the bond reduction for Brown at this time because of the serious nature of the crime. King said Townsley is the other end of Brown’s scheme and he would not recommend lowering her bond either.
Townsley said she has three kids at home. Judge Robin Fulton asked where her children were now, and Townsley said they were with a family friend.
The judge had both fill out a request for a public defender. The next scheduled court appearances for Brown and Townsley are 9 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 31.
