Pinellas Sheriff's Office Launches Prescription Drug Roundup From Dunedin Base

Working from a command post in Dunedin, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is rounding up nearly 100 suspects accused of crimes involving prescription drugs.

Deputies are arresting roughly 82 people suspected of writing fake prescriptions today, March 8, according to a media alert from the office. The rest of the arrrests are for suspects accused of doctor shopping and other crimes related to prescription drug trafficking. The roundup concentrates on fake prescriptions for oxycodone, methadone and Alprazolam.

The Sheriff’s Office’s Countywide Diversion Task Force began the sweep at 6 a.m.

Tuesday’s round up stems from the office's “Operation No Appointment Necessary” investigation, which began in the fall of 2010 as a response to Pinellas citizens’ complaints about suspicious activities and crimes at doctors’ offices and pharmacies.

"So far, over 4,000 fraudulent prescriptions have been collected in Pinellas
County alone in connection with this investigation- with 700 different
subject's names on them," the alert says. "Detectives estimate that more than 400,000 Oxycodone 30 milligram tablets were obtained by fraudulent means between October 2009 and July 2010 just from the fraudulent prescriptions that have been recovered. A conservative street value is estimated to exceed $4 million dollars."

The Task Force includes supervisors and detectives from the Pinellas
County Sheriff's Office, detectives from the Clearwater and St. Petersburg
Police Departments and investigators with the Department of Health. The Pasco
County Sheriff's Office also worked with Pinellas law enforcement.