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« Loudspeakers deliver curfew message in Central Falls | Today | Update: A plea to Bishop Tobin to reach out to abused » April 30, 2008Providence woman admits forging prescriptionsPROVIDENCE -- A Providence woman has admitted to a drug distribution and health-care fraud operation in which she sold forged oxycodone and hydrocodone prescriptions or traded them for crack cocaine. Carol M. DiPina, 55, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to forging prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone on stolen forms and having other people fill the prescriptions at pharmacies, according to a news release today from U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office. They got the prescriptions at little or no cost because health insurers, including Medicaid, reimbursed the pharmacies. Prosecutor Adi Goldstein said at the plea hearing the government could show DiPina got pads of blank prescription forms from Rhode Island Hospital then forged prescriptions for various drugs, including OxyContin, Percocet, Roxicet, and Vicodin. The prosecution at the plea heaing said evidence showed DiPina obtained the Rhode Island Hospital pads through other individuals. She sometimes drove conspirators to the hospital so they could steal the forms, the prosecution contended, according to Tom Connell, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office. DiPina had no connection to Rhode Island Hospital. It was not clear whether conspirators had a direct connection to the hospital. DiPina pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, distributing a controlled substance, conspiracy to commit health-care fraud, and health-care fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and distributing a controlled substance; 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for health-care fraud; and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy to commit health-care fraud. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 5. According to prosecutors, DiPina wrote prescriptions in the names of people who benefitted from Rhode Island Medicaid, Blue Cross Blue Shield RiteCare or private insurance. She sometimes used her own maiden name, Carol Sheed. A DiPina associate told investigators that DiPina would pay him between $50 and $90 for each OxyContin prescription that he filled.
A January search of DiPina’s apartment found a shoe box containing Rhode Island Hospital prescriptions for controlled substances. Agents also seized prescription pill bottles, ledgers containing DiPina’s customers' names, health insurance information of other people, doctors' names and their DEA registration numbers, and crack pipes. Using forged prescriptions, DiPina got about 307,000 milligrams of OxyContin -- a typical pill has 40 to 80 milligrams -- for her and customers, plus some 13,100 dosage units of hydrocodone. From 2001 to January 2008, Medicaid reimbursed pharmacies about $121,000 for the fraudulent prescriptions, and Blue Cross Blue Shield reimbursed about $17,000. Posted by Mike McKinney Commentscranston guy | April 30, 2008 1:31 PM link The solution isn't to lock her up, so taxpayers can foot the bill for the next decade but to get her some serious rehab and counseling, which she clearly needs. I'm not saying she should get off scott free but 35 years is more than some murders get! Desiree | May 1, 2008 3:20 PM link Post a commentPlease be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006
damn that's a lot drugs and duping people. Like the DMV chick etc., we are so blind to what really goes on.
I hope this smart grifter crackhead gets what's coming.