LEONARDTOWN, Md. (May 25, 2011)—The St. Mary's County Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) Narcotics Division released the following incident and arrest report regarding their investigation into a prescription fraud network. The Division is an investigative team comprised of detectives from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police Drug Enforcement Division, and Federal Drug Agents (HIDTA Group 34). The Division was established on September 1st, 2007 and is based in St. Mary’s County.
PRESCRIPTION FRAUD NETWORK: Vice narcotics detectives have been working a five month investigation into a widespread prescription fraud network. Twelve suspects have been identified as obtaining Oxycodone by utilizing fraudulent prescriptions. The fraudulent prescriptions were passed in Charles, Calvert, Prince George's, and St. Mary's Counties as well as in Alexandria, Virginia. More than 200 prescriptions were stolen from multiple physicians' offices in St. Mary's County. The stolen prescriptions were forged and passed. Some of the prescriptions were sold on the street for upwards of $200 each.
The main suspect in this network was identified as Jason Anthony Hoover, 22, of Mechanicsville. Other suspects were identified as John Robert Garner, 29, of Mechanicsville; Shania Nicole Hood, 18, of Mechanicsville; Jesse Patrick Goble, 21, of Mechanicsville; and Terry Floyd Cook, Sr., 38, of Brandywine. A detainer was filed on Suspect Cook as he is incarcerated in the Charles County Detention Center. His indictment was related to fraudulently obtaining Oxycodone.
Search and seizure warrants were executed on homes and vehicles related to the suspects and recovered were Oxycodone pills and stolen blank prescription pads. The street value is currently placed at nearly $70,000 and is continuously going higher as the investigation continues. Numerous other suspects and charges will follow.
Jordan Michael Burnette, a/k/a "Mikey," 25, of Lexington Park, was indicted for felony possession, manufacturing marijuana and utilizing a firearm in trafficking narcotics.
Claude Richard Carpenter, Jr., 29, of Lusby, was arrested on a grand jury indictment for passing false and fraudulent prescriptions as well as attempting to obtain Oxycodone with a quantity to indicate intent to distribute. Suspect Carpenter has numerous charges pending against him and was out on bail at the time of his arrest.
At the end of January 2011, vice narcotics detectives crippled a drug ring that was operated by Reginald "Ricky" Price and Melvin Jerome Price, a/k/a "Buddha." Christi Leane Mayhew, 34, of Lexington Park, was identified in that case as facilitating marijuana sales based on the fact that marijuana was recovered from her home during the execution of a search and seizure warrant. She was indicted by the St. Mary's County Grand Jury for Possession of Marijuana with the intent to Distribute. A detainer was filed on Reginald Price, who is incarcerated elsewhere, for felony possession of heroin, cocaine, and hash.