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Hartland nurse charged with felony
She allegedly forged prescriptions for an array of drugs
Published Friday, December 19, 2008
A 53-year-old Owatonna Clinic nurse from Hartland was charged in Freeborn County District Court on Thursday for one charge of aggravated forgery, a felony.
According to court documents, Sue Ann Peterson allegedly forged signatures on 267 prescriptions for her or her husband from Jan. 8 through Dec. 10. The prescriptions totaled 12,003 pills or tablets.
Those prescriptions were found on records from Walgreens, Snyder Drug, Curt’s Pharmacy, ShopKo, Hy-Vee, Sterling Drug and Wal-Mart in Albert Lea, documents state. They included pills such as Hydrocodone-APAP, Vicodin, Tramadol HCL, Methotrexate, Folic Acid, Keflex, Ultram, Prednisone, Azithromycin and others.
Court documents state that during the week of Dec. 1, Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Corey Farris received a call from a local pharmacist regarding an allegation that Peterson had been submitting many prescriptions for different drugs at pharmacies in Freeborn County and other counties in Minnesota.
Farris questioned as to whether the doctor’s signature had been verified, records state.
“The pharmacist said that the doctor’s office had been called and that a female who claimed to be the signing doctor said that the defendant and her husband have a rare medical issue and that the prescriptions were valid,” documents state. “The pharmacist wondered whether the female was actually the doctor but didn’t know with any confidence.”
Later, on Dec. 11, authorities conducted search warrants at seven local pharmacies, during which prescription records of Peterson and her husband’s names were obtained.
A search warrant was then obtained for records at the doctor’s office at the Owatonna Clinic, and “there were no records at the clinic showing that the doctor named on the prescriptions had prepared any of the prescriptions found at the local pharmacies,” court records stated.
Farris then interviewed the doctor, who said Peterson is her nurse.
Documents state that at first the doctor was reluctant to talk about the nurse, but then she later said that she had not written any prescriptions for Peterson or Peterson’s husband.
“She did not think that she had even seen the defendant’s husband as a patient,” court records state.
Another search warrant was then executed at Peterson’s residence found in Hartland and about 20 prescription bottles were found.
When Farris arrested Peterson at the Owatonna Clinic, “she called her husband and apologized to him saying that she knew it must be a big shock to him.”
Her husband was not charged.
The charge against Peterson carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
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Comments
Posted by NancyB (anonymous) on December 19, 2008 at 7:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
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Posted by menace56 (anonymous) on December 19, 2008 at 11:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why wasn't a photo of Peterson included with the story?
Posted by Reader8 (anonymous) on December 19, 2008 at 11:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, Tim, why no photo?
Posted by Cheyenne (anonymous) on December 19, 2008 at 1:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They probably didn't have a photo?!?!
Posted by outoftowner (anonymous) on December 19, 2008 at 2:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This woman gets a felony, and she didn’t actually directly hurt anyone (I think she should be charged with this by the way), but a bunch of snotty brat girls sexually and physically abuse the elderly, and they get charged with misdemeanors. That is what’s wrong with “the system.” Disgusting.
Posted by menace56 (anonymous) on December 19, 2008 at 5:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
KAAL included Peterson's arrest photo on their 5pm newscast on Friday, 12-19-08.
Posted by nisperos (anonymous) on December 19, 2008 at 11:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yup...
And who else?
Johnston's arrest was oxycontin-related. By ZAZ HOLLANDER, Anchorage Daily News, 12/19/08: http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/628...
»»WASILLA -- Wasilla resident Sherry L. Johnston, mother of Bristol Palin's boyfriend, faces a Jan. 6 court date for an oxycontin-related arrest at her home by Alaska State Troopers...
Johnston is the mother of Levi Johnston, the Wasilla 18-year-old suddenly placed in an international spotlight in September when Gov. Sarah Palin -- who was then running for vice president on the Republican ticket with John McCain -- and her husband, Todd, announced their teenage daughter was pregnant and he was the father...
A standard press release issued by troopers said Johnston was arrested on six felony counts: second-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance -- generally manufacturing or delivering drugs -- as well as fourth-degree misconduct involving controlled substances, or possession...««
Yes, again...
It also made FOX News: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/...
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