St. Francis Man Charged With False Statements And Fraud

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a St. Francis, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for False Statements Relating to Health Care Matters and Attempt to Obtain Controlled Substance by Fraud.

Titus James Iron Shield, age 48, was indicted on January 15, 2014.  He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on January 23, 2014, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 5 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Restitution may also be ordered.

The charges stem from an incident that took place on April 30, 2013, when Iron Shield presented a forged prescription to a pharmacy to obtain Hydrocodone pills knowing the prescription was falsified.

The charges are merely an accusation and Iron Shield is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

The investigation is being conducted by the Office of the Inspector General – Department of Health and Human Services.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher is prosecuting the case.   

Iron Shield was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial.  A trial date has not been set.