United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

MANCHESTER MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO PRESCRIPTION FRAUD

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RYAN MORIN, 29, of Manchester, waived indictment and pleaded guilty today before Chief United States District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to one count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation or fraud.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on several occasions, MORIN used false identities to receive treatment at emergency departments of Connecticut hospitals.  Following his treatment, MORIN typically would receive prescriptions for a small number of pills containing hydrocodone mixed with acetaminophen, a Schedule III controlled substance.  Each prescription contained the DEA registration number of the prescribing physician.  MORIN then used the physicians’ DEA numbers to obtain larger quantities of pills by calling in prescriptions to various pharmacies and purporting to be a medical doctor.

In pleading guilty, MORIN admitted that he used the DEA numbers or other information from at least 10 health care providers to falsely obtain more than 6000 pills of prescription medications containing controlled substances.

Judge Thompson has scheduled sentencing for September 17, 2010, at which time MORIN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of four years and a fine of up to $250,000.

MORIN is detained pending sentencing.

This investigation was conducted by special agents from the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Criminal Investigations of the Food and Drug Administration, and Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, along with the Waterford Police Department and the Drug Control Division of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Sheldon.

U.S. Attorney Fein encouraged individuals who suspect health care fraud to report it by calling the Health Care Fraud Task Force at (203) 785-9270 or 1-800-HHS-TIPS.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov