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Attorney General’s Office: Four of 11 accused of involvement in opioid ring still on the run
The Arizona Attorney General's Office says 11 people face charges accusing them of involvement in an opioid ring that allegedly stole identities of health care providers to write fake prescriptions. Four of the defendants indicted are currently on the run. FOX 10's Jennifer Martinez reports.
PHOENIX - The Arizona Attorney General's Office says 11 people face charges accusing them of involvement in an opioid ring that allegedly stole identities of health care providers to write fake prescriptions. Four of the defendants indicted are currently on the run.
The state Attorney General's Office said Tuesday an investigation by city, county and federal agencies identified 36 separate transactions involving fraudulent prescriptions for opioids.
ROW 1: Julie Ann Adams, David Edward Bektashi, Bryan James Kaminskas, Emily Ruth Richardson, Cynthia Meeks Murphy and Michael Kenneth Taflinger were arrested. ROW 2: Jeannine Gomez, Latisha Shelice Stennis, Patrick Lee Hargett and De'Aundray J. Frazi …
"In March of 2018, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office received a complaint from a nurse practitioner who believed that his personal identifying information may have been used to write fake prescriptions for Oxycodone. During the investigation, David Edward Bektashi and Emily Ruth Richardson were allegedly found in possession of fake prescriptions from 16 different nurse practitioners and doctors. The investigation also identified 36 separate transactions where the defendants accused of filling fraudulent prescriptions for opioids."
A June 11 indictment charged the defendants but office spokeswoman Mia Garcia said authorities had to wait to announce the indictment because four defendants are fugitives and couldn't be served right away.
According to the office, the investigation started in 2018 when a nurse practitioner complained that his identity was used to write fake prescriptions for Oxycodone. Charges include participating in a criminal syndicate, conspiracy, taking the identity of another and acquisition of narcotic drugs by fraud.
WANTED:
Jeannine Gomez, 40
Latisha Shelice Stennis, 24
De’Aundray J. Frazier, 30
Patrick Lee Hargett, 41
If you have any information on their whereabouts, call 602-542-0381.
ARRESTED:
David Edward Bektashi, 49
Emily Ruth Richardson, 38
Julie Ann Adams, 37
Cynthia Meeks Murphy, 68
Bryan James Kaminskas, 33
Michael Kenneth Taflinger, 42
SERVED WITH INDICTMENT:
Anthony J. Harms, 44
The Associated Press contributed to this report.