CASE UPDATE: Erie County Woman Charged for Forging Prescriptions Waives Court Hearing

April 26, 2018 | Topic: Criminal

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced that an Erie County woman who posed as a nurse and illegally wrote and filled prescriptions for opioids and other drugs waived her preliminary hearing and will face trial.

Marisha Winiarczyk, 31, of McCain Avenue, Erie, was charged last month with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, insurance fraud, theft by deception and related offenses for forging and illegally filling prescriptions for 450 pills. Although she was working as a registered nurse at Regency at South Shore, investigators learned that Winiarczyk forged her nursing certificate and was not qualified to work as a nurse.

“We are committed to prosecuting drug dealers, whether they are staffing doctors’ offices or selling drugs on street corners,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “You cannot forge and illegally fill prescriptions for hundreds of pills without facing justice. As Attorney General, I’ll continue to pursue anyone who diverts prescription drugs for illegal use.”

In 2017, Office of Attorney General agents charged 216 persons for illegally diverting prescription drugs, a 72 percent increase over 2016.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Roger Bauer. Suspected illegal activity involving the diversion of prescription drugs can be reported by emailing drugdiversion@attorneygeneral.gov.

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