Fraud occurs at Kentucky pharmacy

A Madison, Kentucky, district judge was unable to find probable cause for 13 of 25 identity theft-related charges for Shannon F. Luster, who used false ID verification to pick up prescriptions, the Richmond Register reports. Luster, under the guise of a doctor's office employee, allegedly called Blue Grass Family Pharmacy in Richmond on multiple occasions to obtain controlled substances. From May until August, Luster repeatedly called the pharmacy claiming to be a doctor's office worker named Melanie whom the pharmacist spoke with frequently. Unable to decipher the difference between the accused's voice and the actual person's, the pharmacist filled prescriptions for Valium, Lortab and Adipex which Luster picked up each month. "I spoke with Melanie at the doctor's office, and she said she had not called in any of the prescriptions," said investigating officer Kelly Fraze of the Richmond Police Department, as quoted by the news source. However, the pharmacy's case fell apart after Luster's attorney questioned how she was able to pick{insert space}up prescriptions over the previous four months - and speak to the pharmacist on the phone - without being discovered. If convicted of the remaining 12 charges, Luster could face 20 years in jail. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that pharmacy ID theft can occur if thieves "pilfer through waste baskets" or steal pharmacy information sheets.