Amanda Sheridan, Prescription Forgery, MI 2024

Amanda Sheridan, 38, of Hastings, Michigan, pled guilty today to acquiring controlled substances by fraud — a scheme that saw her forge 77 prescriptions for Norco, Adderall, and other heavily abused painkillers. The former medical assistant used her access at a Grand Rapids doctor’s office to steal prescription pads and forge a physician’s signature, funneling more than 4,000 pills into circulation.

Sheridan didn’t just exploit her position — she weaponized it. Working inside a trusted medical facility, she systematically ripped off prescription forms, duplicated the doctor’s signature, and wrote the prescriptions to herself and two accomplices. Over time, she siphoned thousands of controlled pills, feeding a black-market demand while posing as a legitimate healthcare worker.

The fraud unraveled after pharmacy audits and prescription monitoring flagged suspicious patterns. The Drug Enforcement Administration launched an investigation, tracing the forged scripts back to Sheridan. Each prescription was a deliberate breach of medical ethics and federal law, turning a clinic’s healing mission into a pipeline for addiction.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge did not mince words: “This type of crime feeds the opioid epidemic, which we and our partner agencies are committed to fighting.” He emphasized that federal prosecutors are targeting not just street dealers but insiders who abuse their roles to divert medication meant for patients.

Sheridan now faces up to four years in federal prison. No plea deal erased the gravity of her betrayal — one built on stolen trust, forged signatures, and a flood of addictive drugs into West Michigan communities already ravaged by substance abuse. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Stiffler.

The DEA’s successful takedown underscores the federal focus on medical insider threats. As prescription drug diversion remains a cornerstone of the opioid crisis, cases like Sheridan’s reveal how easily access can be abused — and how fiercely federal law enforcement will respond.