Sudbury, Ont., pharmacy worker wrote $1.5M in fake fentanyl prescriptions
A former employee at the Rexall Pharmacy located on Bancroft Drive in Sudbury pleaded guilty Monday to writing fake fentanyl prescriptions worth more than $1.5 million.
Lise Blanchette pled guilty to one count of fraud over $5,000 and one count of fentanyl possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Blanchette was in Sudbury court Monday, where she admitted to fabricating fentanyl prescriptions between May 2016 and May 2018.
Through the phony prescriptions, she obtained 3,425 fentanyl patches with an estimated street value of more than $1.5 million.
Prosecutor Peter Keen, who appeared via Zoom from Guelph, said Blanchette impersonated doctors who work in Sudbury and filled out the prescriptions using the names of four members of her family.
Keen said video surveillance shows her entering in and paying for the prescriptions with cash.
At first, Blanchette said she was battling addiction and that she took the patches for herself. But Keen said the amount taken can't be explained by personal use, because someone taking that much would have shown signs of impairment. No one reported Blanchette as being impaired during that time.
He argued the only reasonable explanation is the drugs were acquired for the purpose of trafficking.
Blanchette was charged in December 2019. The case will return to court Wednesday when a sentencing date will be determined.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.