3 drugstores + 1 fake prescription = jail time | Crime

A woman’s determination to get a prescription for painkillers filled ended with her behind bars.

Marita Johnson, 27, of Memphis is charged with three counts of felony possession of a controlled substance by fraud, forgery or theft.

According to the Jonesboro police report, Johnson went to three different pharmacies Thursday attempting to fill a prescription for 120 pills of hydrocodone.

Police say she tried to pass the phony prescription at Super D, 1328 Stadium Blvd.,  and Super V, 1000 E. Matthews.  Thinking the prescription was suspicious because it came from Memphis, a pharmacist at Super V called the doctor’s number on the prescription.

The pharmacist’s suspicions were confirmed she said when the woman who answered “sounded like she was in a bathroom.” 

Police were notified and a perimeter was set up around the pharmacy.  When Johnson didn’t return to pick up the prescription, the surveillance was terminated.

Four hours later police were called to Kroger, 1525 Caraway Rd.  The pharmacist said he “noticed something wasn’t right about the prescription” and looked up the doctor on the internet.  The doctor’s number was different than the one on the prescription.  The pharmacist told police he called the doctor and verified that it was a fraudulent prescription.  Then he called police.

Officers arrested Johnson and reportedly found a bottle of pills from Super D with “similar information on it as the fraudulent prescription.”

At last report, Johnson was being held at the Craighead County Detention Center awaiting a probable cause hearing.

Photo provided by Craighead County Sheriff's Office.