BECKLEY, W.Va. — A former Beckley-area physician’s office employee is looking at spending time behinds bars for a felony drug charge.
According to a release from U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin’s Office, Tina Marie Richmond, 41, of Beckley, pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally obtaining the powerful prescription painkiller oxycodone.
The release said Richmond committed a federal felony by aiding and abetting the acquiring and obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception and subterfuge.
During her employment at a Beckley doctor’s office, Richmond stole a prescription pad belonging to her former employer, a Beckley doctor, which contained the Drug Enforcement Administration registration number.
According to the release, on August 2 Richmond took the pad without authorization, forged the doctor’s signature on the script pad and then gave it to a known acquaintance in exchange for money.
An investigation revealed that the forged script was written for 90 30-milligram oxycodone pills.
Richmond faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine when sentenced on April 17, 2014.