ROCKINGHAM - The Rockingham Police Department announced the successful culmination of a year-long investigation that resulted in the arrest of a Rockingham woman for illegal procurement and distribution of opioids.
Crystal Lunceford, 50, of Rockingham was arrested on Wednesday, June 6th and charged with 23 counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or forgery; six counts of trafficking in opiates; and five counts of identity theft.
Thousands of scheduled narcotics in the form of tablet pills were allegedly obtained by Lunceford through illegal means. Using her own name as well as those of five other individuals, Lunceford was able to take advantage of her professional position in the medical field to forge prescriptions for approximately 2010 oxycodone and Alprazolam (Xanax) pills over the course of a period of three years.
The investigation began when the RPDDDP was notified by a local pharmacy of suspicious activity. The ensuing investigation led the detective to discover that Lunceford, who had previously been a patient receiving legal prescriptions for Alprazolam, continued to call in an additional 18 prescriptions of the drug over a two year period, resulting in approximately 1,410 dosage units of Alprazolam being obtained fraudulently after Lunceford was no longer a patient at the prescribers office.
Lunceford was processed into the Richmond County Jail under a secured bond of $75,000.
Begun in 2016, the Rockingham Police Department’s Drug Diversion Program (RPDDDP) has been officially recognized by the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators for its excellent investigative work.
The drug diversion agent assigned to this initiative has worked with local, state, and federal authorities to successfully prosecute drug diversion cases.
With the noteworthy assistance of local physicians and pharmacists, the RPDDDP has been able to account for tens of thousands of diverted narcotics while arresting and charging the individuals responsible for the illegal drug-related activities.
