Nov 21, 2013 2 min read

South Strabane Township police have charged a former employee of a North Franklin Township physician’s office and her boyfriend for allegedly passing forged prescriptions for painkillers at several pharmacies in the area.

Charged Thursday were Brandi Lee Cree, 31, of 25 W. Katherine Ave., Washington, and Robert McKahan, 27, of 175 Grove Ave., Washington.

Police received a report from a pharmacist at Target Aug. 28 that she had received a fraudulent prescription for Percocet. An unidentified man dropped off the prescription with the patient’s name of Brandi Cree. The man was acting nervously so the pharmacist called the office of Southwestern Pennsylvania Associates in Neurology to verify the prescription. The pharmacist learned it was fraudulent. She also determined that an additional fraudulent prescription had been filled for Cree July 29.

Township police Detective Michael Schidlmeier talked with Dr. Robert Hospodar, whose signature appeared on the prescription. The doctor told police he had never prescribed any medication for Cree and that his signature had been forged. Hospodar also told Schidlmeier that Cree had worked in the billing department at his office until June and had access to prescription forms.

The detective checked with local pharmacies and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency for prescriptions written in the names of Cree or McKahan. He learned that a dozen fraudulent prescriptions had been passed by either Cree or McKahan at Target and four other pharmacies in the Washington area between February and August. The prescriptions were for Oxycodone, Percocet or Opana.

Cree told Schidlmeier that she took the prescription blanks while working at Hospodar’s office. The two admitted that they worked together to get the prescriptions filled so they could sell the pills as well as keep some of the drugs for personal consumption.

Highmark Health Care paid $5,296 for the fraudulent prescriptions.

The two are charged with 12 counts of passing fraudulent prescriptions, conspiracy and possession of a controlled substance. Cree is also charged with five counts of insurance fraud. The charges will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.