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Authorities: Man fraudulently obtained prescriptions

By Staff | Sep 30, 2010

A Cape Coral man remained in jail Thursday for allegedly getting prescription drugs from two doctors at the same time without the physicians knowing it.
Edwardo Victor Martinez, 67, of 1117 N.W. 22nd Ave., was arrested and charged Tuesday with 35 felony counts of fraud concealing information to obtain prescription. He was taken into custody on a warrant at his home.
Martinez remained at the Lee County Jail on $87,500 bond Thursday, according to booking records. He has a court date scheduled for Nov. 1.
On March 31, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office received information that Martinez was possibly obtaining prescriptions for controlled substances from more than one physician within a 30-day period, according to a LCSO report.
Detectives learned that Martinez had received Vicoden and Xanax on a regular basis from March 17, 2008, to Feb. 20, 2010, from the Doctor’s Office of Kenneth Berdick, at 2665 Cleveland Ave., Suite 108, Fort Myers.
They also found that he had received morphine, in the forms of MSIR, MS Contin and morphine sulfate, during the same time frame on a regular basis from the Advanced Pain Management and Spine Specialists, at 6120 Winkler Road, Suite J, Fort Myers.
According to the report, Martinez fraudulently obtained 4,532 pills total.
Staff at Advanced Pain Management and Spine Specialists told detectives that they were not made unaware that Martinez was visiting other doctors and obtaining controlled substances of similar therapeutic use at any time.
The investigation also revealed that on March 19, the Doctor’s Office of Kenneth Berdick learned Martinez was receiving narcotic pain medications regularly from another doctor’s office and discharged his as a patient. The staff then contacted Advanced Pain Management and Spine Specialists and made them aware of the situation. They also discharged him as a patient.
Following the investigation, a warrant was issued for Martinez’s arrest.