By Kameel Stanley, Times Staff Writer
Monday, September 6, 2010
LARGO — Authorities arrested an X-ray technician they say wrote more than 100 fraudulent prescriptions in her own name to get hydrocodone.
Jessica A. Rhodes, 27, of 10167 Sailwinds Blvd. Apt. 5, was arrested Sunday on six counts each of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and trafficking in hydrocodone. Jail records show she was released Monday after posting a surety bond.
Pinellas County Sheriff's deputies began an investigation Aug. 30 after getting a tip from a pharmacist at a Target pharmacy.
The pharmacist had become suspicious of Rhodes, who was getting weekly prescriptions for hydrocodone from a local podiatrist.
Detectives called the podiatrist, Dr. Bella Worman, who told them Rhodes had worked in her office for about three years ending in June. The doctor said she had not issued any prescriptions to Rhodes, who has an active medical license for certified podiatric X-ray assistant.
Deputies discovered Rhodes had forged 121 prescriptions from April 8, 2009 to June 30, 2010. She passed them at Target and CVS pharmacies throughout the county.
One hundred of the prescriptions, which totalled about 3,765 pills, were for controlled substances including hydrocodone and oxycodone. The remaining 21 prescriptions, which came out to 630 pills, were for other medication that was not identified.