Reported fraudulent prescription calls leads to felony charges

Two men are facing charges stemming from an alleged attempt to call in fraudulent prescriptions to a handful of local pharmacies.

According to the criminal complaint filed by Patton Township police, officers received a call from a Wal-Mart pharmacist Saturday reporting what she believed to be a fraudulent prescription. The pharmacist said an individual had called requesting one pint of promethazine codeine cough syrup and 24 capsules of amoxicillin.

She recalled a call requesting the same prescription in December, police said.

After the call ended, the pharmacist researched the doctor who had allegedly called, police said, learning that he worked in Washington, D.C., but was on vacation and would not be calling in any prescriptions. A short time later, a man called in using the name “Atkins,” saying he would be in to pick up the prescription.

Officers also received calls reporting the same prescription had been called in to pharmacies at Wegmans and Target, police said, using the names “Larry Atkins” and “Timothy Atkins.”

On Sunday, the pharmacist at the Colonnade Boulevard Wegmans contacted officers saying a man was at the counter attempting to purchase the prescription, police said. When the man was told he would need to provide identification, he reportedly left the store.

He was approached by officers but reportedly fled through the parking lot on foot, police said. He got into a car driven by a second man, and attempted to flee through the parking lot but was boxed in by a store customer.

The passenger reportedly left the vehicle and again fled on foot but was stopped near Applebee’s, police said.

The driver was identified as Osumane Goloko, 28, of Randallstown, Md., and the passenger as Kevin M. Lewis, 23, of Washington, D.C., police said. Both were arraigned Sunday before District Judge Kelley Gillette-Walker, according to court documents.

Both Lewis and Goloko were charged with felony counts of attempting to obtain a prescription by fraud and conspiracy charges, court documents said, and Lewis faces an additional felony count of escape. Bail was set at $200,000 for Lewis and $150,000 for Goloko.

Preliminary hearings for both are slated for April 5.

This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Reported fraudulent prescription calls leads to felony charges."