ERIK ROAN, 31, of Tacoma, Washington, is at the center of a brazen opioid forgery ring that flooded pharmacies across the state with fraudulent prescriptions, federal prosecutors say. ROAN, along with CHRISTOPHER LOVATA, 26, of Kent, Washington, and LEA ESPY, 49, of Auburn, Washington, used stolen DEA registration numbers and spoofed online medical profiles to obtain thousands of narcotic painkillers, including oxycodone, using digital and in-person deception.
The scheme came to light in January 2016 after a failed attempt to fill a forged oxycodone prescription at a Walgreens in Tacoma. Investigators uncovered a sophisticated operation in which the defendants created fake profiles for real doctors on third-party medical websites like healthgrades.com and patientfusion.com. When pharmacies called to verify prescriptions, a co-conspirator would answer using contact details tied to the fraudulent profiles, vouching for the legitimacy of the orders.
According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court, the ring gained unauthorized access to online prescription systems, allowing them to send digital prescriptions directly in the names of unsuspecting physicians. The forged scripts were indistinguishable from real ones, bypassing standard verification protocols and enabling the group to siphon massive quantities of controlled substances from multiple pharmacies over several months.
ROAN, LOVATA, and ESPY are each charged with three counts of obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 4 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The charges remain allegations; a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
“These investigations are critically important as our country experiences an epidemic of addiction, overdose and death due to the abuse of opioid painkillers,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States, eclipsing those from motor vehicle crashes or firearms.” Hayes credited the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad for dismantling the operation.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad, which includes task force officers from the Tacoma and Seattle Police Departments and the Washington State Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Siddharth Velamoor is prosecuting the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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