Source: United States Attorneys General
Headline: Three from the Akron area indicted for their roles in a conspiracy in which they forged the signatures of medical professionals to obtain thousands of Oxycodone pills and other drugs
Three people from the Akron area were indicted in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy in which they forged the signatures of medical professionals to illegally obtain thousands of Oxycodone pills and other drugs, law enforcement officials said.
Dennie Rowland, 46, of Hartville, Candi A. Webb, 34, of Akron, and Richard L. Overdorf, 37, of Akron, were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Rowland and Webb worked together in a doctor’s office, where the physician and a nurse practitioner were permitted to prescribe medicine. Rowland and Webb were not, according to the indictment.
Rowland and Webb took the prescription pads from their employers and forged the signatures of the doctor and nurse practitioner. Rowland and Webb wrote the prescriptions in the names of friends, relatives and other acquaintances without their knowledge for Oxycodone, amphetamine salts and Alprazolam, according to the indictment.
Rowland, Webb and Overdorf then presented those prescriptions to be filled at pharmacies in Akron, North Canton and elsewhere. They used the drugs themselves and sold the drugs, according to the indictment.
The conspiracy took place from December 2015 through November 2016, according to the indictment.
“These defendants illegally put thousands of doses of Oxycodone on the streets of Akron and Canton at time when pills, heroin and fentanyl were killing so many people in our community,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “We will continue to focus on reducing the supply of opioids, whether that’s prescription painkillers being illegally diverted or fentanyl being illegally shipped to our shores.”
“Rowland and Webb were trusted employees who stole from their employers and flooded the community with highly addictive prescription drugs at a time when the community is struggling with an opioid abuse crisis. The prosecution of all involved in this investigation was imperative in our fight against diverted drugs.”
If convicted, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the
characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Akron Police Department, and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Katz.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.