Community Corner

Meriden Man Charged in Drug Fraud Case

Police said the man used a fake prescription obtained using a doctor's prescription pad to illegally receive insomnia drugs on several occas


A Meriden man is facing forgery and drug charges after an ongoing effort to obtain considerable amounts of insomniac medications earlier this year, Southington Police said.

The Meriden man turned himself in to the Southington Police Department on Monday after learning there was a warrant for his arrest. He was charged with three counts of second-degree forgery, three counts of obtaining drugs through fraud, possession of a controlled substance and criminal attempt to possess a controlled substance. Police said further charges ma still be coming.

He was released after posting a $10,000 bond and is due in Bristol Superior Court on Jan. 3, 2012, for arraignment.

Police said in September and October of last year, He had obtained at least six separate prescriptions of the insomnia medications Ambien, or Zolpidem, at area drug stores using fake prescriptions.

“An investigation determined that had used a prescription notepad from a doctor in New York to obtain six separate prescriptions at the on Main Street between late September and Oct. 27,” said Sgt. Lowell DePalma. “It was a pretty cut and dry case.”

Police were unsure how the drugs were being used.

Ambien, the name brand of the drug Zolpidem Tartrate, is an insomniac medication that when used over an extended period can cause a dependency, according to drugs.com. It is also occasionally used recreationally to get a short-term high or to come down from stimulants such as amphetamines or cocaine.


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