The Picayune Police Department recently made four arrests over two days for prescription forgery.

On the evening of Oct. 10, officers were dispatched to a local pharmacy in reference to a forged prescription and provided with a description of the possible suspects, said Jeremy Magri, assistant to the chief of police.  

“Upon arriving on the scene, officers observed a male and female matching the description(s) given by dispatch as possible suspects, near the store’s front register,” Magri said.

Officers then made contact with Patricia Smith, 41, of #3 CD Lane, Carriere, and Hersey D. Craddock, 41, of 147 Cousin St., Slidell, La., Magri said, and the two were detained.

Magri said the complainant stated that “Smith and Craddock were trying to fill three prescriptions, one (each) for Xanax, Percocet and oxycodone.”

When the pharmacy made contact with the doctor’s office where the prescriptions were from, they were advised that the doctor did not write the prescriptions, Magri said. “The doctor’s office stated that Smith and Craddock had previously tried to fill some prescriptions in Slidell at an earlier time,” he said.

The Slidell Police Department made a report on the incident, Magri said.

He said Smith and Craddock were taken into custody and transported to the Criminal Justice Center.

A search of Smith resulted in officers locating three blue pills identified as diazepam and a prescription in Hersey’s name, said Magri.

At the time of their arrest, Smith and Craddock told officers they were dropped off at the pharmacy, Magri said.

“Through further investigation, it was learned that Smith’s vehicle was in the pharmacy parking lot,” he said. When officers performed an inventory search of the vehicle, they located “a black binder containing numerous forged prescriptions and evidence that a prescription had been filled earlier in the day,” Magri said.

Officers also located a glass pipe, a small, brown bottle containing crushed pills and a syringe containing an unknown clear liquid, said Magri.

Craddock was charged with 11 counts of prescription forgery, possession of a controlled substance and possession of paraphernalia, Magri said. Craddock is being held at the Picayune jail on a $56,500 bond, he said.

Smith was charged with eight counts of prescription forgery and possession of a controlled substance, Magri said. Smith is in custody at the  Picayune jail on a $43,500 bond, he said.

The following day, officers were again dispatched to a local pharmacy in reference to prescription forgery, Magri said.

“When officers arrived, the complainant stated that two females entered the business and requested to have three prescriptions filled,” Magri said.

The two females were later identified as Lauren E. Rush, 25, of 701 Union St. #27, Bay St. Louis, and Jill R. Lee, 30, of 1023 Telly Rd., he said.

Magri said Rush approached the counter and requested to fill prescriptions in her name for “Lortab, Xanax and oxycodone.”

The pharmacy notified the doctor’s office, who informed the pharmacy employee that the prescriptions were forged, he said.

Officers were able to take both Rush and Lee into custody and transport them to the Criminal Justice Center, Magri said.

Rush and Lee were each charged with one count of prescription forgery and both have since been released on $5,000 bonds, Magri said.