Druggist charged with forgery

SYCAMORE - A 37-year-old Belvidere woman faces several forgery charges for filling false prescriptions at pharmacies in Genoa and Sycamore. On Feb. 9, Sycamore police charged Lorna Bertell with 12 counts of forgery, eight counts of unlawful acquisition of a controlled substance and three counts of state benefits fraud. A week later, on Feb. 17, Genoa police charged her with 17 counts of forgery and three counts of unlawful acquisition of a controlled substance. Police in both cities began investigating in December after her employer, Eggleston's Pharmacy in Genoa and Sycamore - where she was a pharmacist - reported the forged prescriptions to police, Sycamore Sgt. Steve Cook said. The incidents took place from April through October 2005. &#8220She was obtaining prescription medicines in several different ways and one of them involved forgery,” Cook said. According to court documents, Bertell used prescription forms that appeared to be written by medical doctors for patients and used them to get medication. On at least three occasions the prescriptions were written for herself and at least two were allegedly transferred to Eggleston's Pharmacy in Sycamore from a Rockford Target store. In the Sycamore case she was charged with state benefits fraud for filling prescriptions that were intended for public aid clients. &#8220She had also obtained prescriptions using other people's names and those people would have been receiving state aid,” Cook said. In Sycamore she allegedly took prescriptions containing hydrocodone, albuterol and Clonazepam. Hydrocodone also is known as Vicodin. Albuterol is used to control asthma. Clonazepam is taken to control seizures or to relieve anxiety. Cook said he did not know if Bertell was selling the medication or using it. Forgery is a Class 3 felony, punishable by two to five years in prison and a fine of $25,000. Unlawful acquisition of a controlled substance and state benefits fraud are each a Class 4 felony, punishable by one to three years in prison and a fine of $25,000. Bertell's next court date is March 6.