Altoona Woman Arrested on Drug Charges
By: Brian Thompson
Updated: April 9, 2010
HARRISBURG -- An Altoona woman is one of more than a dozen people arrested along with a Lawrence County doctor known to be the highest prescriber of pain medication in the state.
Dr. Van Edward Scott of New Castle, Lawrence County was arrested along with several of his patients on charges that he illegally prescribed massive quantities of powerful pain medications, which were resold on the streets.
Attorney General Tom Corbett said the suspects were part of a large-scale illegal Oxycodone (Oxycontin and Roxicodone), Morphine, Fentanyl and Methadone distribution ring operating in Beaver, Mercer and Lawrence counties.
Dr. Scott is the highest prescriber of Schedule II controlled substances in Pennsylvania. In one year, Dr. Scott allegedly wrote prescriptions for 2.19 million doses, which was 60 percent higher than the second-highest prescriber in the state.
Agents estimate that 2.19 million doses would have a street value of at least $50 million.
The grand jury identified Dr. Scott's patients; Raymond Wigton, Kelley Tritt, Joseph Gura, Carrie Parker, William Kroll, Lucinda McNary and George Mali, as major traffickers and suppliers of Oxycontin, Roxicodone, Methadone, Endocet, Fentanyl, Percocet, and Valium.
One of the few arrested from outside extreme western Pennsylvania is 33-year old Danielle Gable 1103 4th Ave., Altoona, Blair County. She is charged with one count of delivery of a controlled substance, one count of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance, one count of possession of a controlled substance and one count of criminal conspiracy.
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