Pharmacist Faces Three-hundred-eighty-three Criminal Charges
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a pharmacist on three-hundred-eighty-three charges related to fraudulently obtaining prescription medications. John Charles Ward, DOB: 07/04/1951 was arrested today after a lengthy investigation which uncovered fraudulent transactions spanning a 3 year period.
The investigation began on January 27, 2010 when a Medical Malpractice Investigator with The Department of Health informed the Lee County Sheriffs Office Pharmaceutical Investigation Unit of a preliminary investigation regarding Pharmacist John Charles Ward. Ward was dispensing medications to himself and family members without prescriptions.
During the course of the investigation, detectives discovered Ward had filled multiple prescriptions for himself, his wife, and his mother, yet no prescription existed. These transactions occurred at three pharmacies where Ward was employed over a three year period. They include Publix Pharmacy #614 located at 21301 South Tamiami Trail, Estero, Publix Pharmacy #1156 located at 2160 McGregor Boulevard, Fort Myers, and Brooks Pharmacy located at 3501 Health Center Boulevard, Bonita Springs. The drugs involved in these transactions were Clonazepam and Hydrocodone.
The investigation revealed that between the dates of April 10, 2007 to May 10, 2009, John Ward unlawfully dispensed medications without a legitimate prescription 193 times to himself, Meredith Ward, and Margery Ward. John Ward unlawfully used the personal information of Doctors and their specifically assigned DEA numbers without permission to obtain medications without authorization 6 times. Ward obtained a controlled substance by fraud (without a prescription) 24 times for himself and Meredith Ward and he obtained prescription (nonscheduled) drugs without a prescription 29 times for himself, Meredith Ward, and Margery Ward.
Detectives also discovered that claims were submitted to Blue Cross and Blue Shield Insurance for the fraudulently obtained prescriptions. These claims resulted in a total payout of $4,476.69 by the insurance company. Ward is facing 131 counts of insurance fraud as a result of these claims.
John Charles Ward has been charged as follows:
193 counts (Felony) of a pharmacist dispensing medication without a prescription
24 counts (Felony) of obtaining a controlled substance
29 counts (Misd) of obtaining a legend drug without a prescription
6 counts (Felony) of use of ID of another without consent
131 counts (Felony) of insurance fraud
Ward has been transported to the Lee County Jail for booking. His booking photo will be available on the Sheriff’s Office website at www.sheriffleefl.org under Arrest & Inmates / Search Lee County Arrests after processing.