A former medical secretary for a Ketchum doctor pleaded guilty Monday in Blaine County 5th District Court to a felony crime of illegally obtaining prescription medicine.
Cinda Sue Anderson, 52, entered her plea to a charge of “obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and/or forgery” before Judge Robert Elgee, who advised her that the crime is punishable by up to four years in prison.
The plea was in accord with an agreement worked out between Anderson’s attorney, Douglas Nelson, and the Blaine County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Matt Fredback said the agreement provides that a second count of the same charge against Anderson will be dismissed and that he will recommend at sentencing that Anderson be placed on probation and be required to apply for admittance into Blaine County Drug Court.
While Anderson was only charged with two crimes, Fredback told the court that “there are many, many counts that could be charged here.”
Sentencing was scheduled for April 1. Anderson remains free on bond.
The case against Anderson was filed in November following a lengthy investigation by the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office. Detective Cory Weatherly wrote in a probable-cause affidavit that he was advised in December 2011 by the Idaho State Board of Pharmacy about irregularities concerning Anderson’s prescriptions for Alprazolam filled at Karen’s Family Pharmacy in Hailey and at Dick’s Pharmacy in Twin Falls.
Weatherly wrote that Anderson had filled the same prescriptions at both drug stores on several occasions and that the prescriptions were filed by her by fax from the employer’s office without the authorization of her employer, Dr. Kenneth Brait.
Weatherly reported that Anderson was fired by Brait following an internal investigation at the physician’s office.
Alprazolam, available under the trade name Xanax, is used to treat panic and anxiety disorders.
Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com
Cinda Sue Anderson
