A 54-year-old Hartland woman pleaded guilty Friday in Freeborn County District Court to one charge of aggravated forgery as part of a plea agreement by her lawyer and the Freeborn County Attorney’s Office.

According to court documents, Sue Ann Peterson, a former Owatonna Clinic nurse, allegedly forged signatures on 267 prescriptions for her or her husband from Jan. 8 through Dec. 10, 2008. 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.

Peterson said Friday she used all of the medication herself and did not resell it to other people. Since her arrest, she has gone through treatment at Fountain Lake Treatment Centers for what was a supposed addiction.

Assistant Freeborn County Attorney David Walker said the intent of the plea was to unite all of the instances of fraud under one charge, or what can be labeled as one continuing behavior. He noted there is reason to believe the fraud began in 2006.

The plea agreement recommends a stay of imposition with no executed jail time.

If the judge grants this recommendation during sentencing on June 8, that means that instead of getting the imposed sentence for the conviction of the crime, Peterson would be placed on probation with certain conditions to follow. The case would be reduced to a misdemeanor if she completes probation successfully.

The felony aggravated forgery otherwise carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.