Utah Prescription Fraud
Lawyer - Salt Lake Criminal Defense
A
criminal charge for prescription fraud, prescription forgery, or
obtaining a prescription under false pretenses in Utah can lead to a
felony conviction, with potential sentences including prison or jail
time and a variety of probation conditions. Stephen Howard is a
Utah
defense
attorney based in Salt Lake City with extensive experience
defending prescription fraud and other
drug charges.
Prescription fraud and prescription forgery cases often involve
constitutional and other legal issues. But may prescription drug cases
also involve issues relating to
addiction and substance
abuse.
Contact us
today to arrange for an initial consultation.
Utah Prescription Fraud - Elements and Defenses

Typical
scenarios leading to prescription fraud or prescription forgery
charges in Utah include: changing the number of pills on an otherwise
valid prescription; photocopied prescriptions that have been altered
and filled multiple times; phone calls to a pharmacy from a person
pretending to work in a doctor's office; forged signatures on
pads
of stolen prescription forms; and outright forgeries with
fictitious doctors. Charges of obtaining a prescription under false
pretenses can involve patients who obtain an otherwise legitimate
prescription from a doctor by giving false information to the doctor
(such as falsely claiming to be experiencing pain).
Often,
a person charged with prescription fraud may have been attempting to
fill a prescription for another person. In some cases, the
person
honestly believed that the prescription was valid and was only trying
to do someone a favor. In other cases, the person knows the
prescription is forged. In either case, the prosecution bears the
burden of proof and must prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
In such instances, a key element of the charge is the intent
of
the defendant. If a prosecutor cannot prove that the defendant knew the
prescription was forged or fraudulent, then a jury must find the
defendant not guilty.
The Utah legislature has amended drug possession statutes reducing
simple possession of a controlled substance a misdemeanor charge under
many circumstances. But prescription fraud charges remain at the felony
level, carrying serious potential
consequences.
If you are facing criminal prosecution on
charges of prescription fraud, you need an experienced Utah criminal
defense attorney with a record of achieving real results for his
clients. Stephen Howard has handled literally thousands of
serious
felony
criminal cases during his career - more than most
attorneys will ever see.
Contact
us today to arrange for an initial consultation.
Utah Prescription Fraud - Addiction
If you suffer a serious injury, there is a good chance that your doctor
will prescribe pain medication for you. If you have surgery,
you will often be prescribed pain medication. Unfortunately,
for many good people, a legitimate pain medication prescription can
start them down the long hard road of addiction and criminal trouble.
Many good, upstanding members of our community have struggled with an
addiction that began with a legitimate pain medication
prescription.
Oxycontin, Lortab, Percocet, Vicodin, and many more
legitimate medications can become the objects of substance abuse and
addiction.
Once a person becomes addicted, their behavior can change dramatically.
Their thought processes change as they begin to focus on just
getting their pills. If their doctor cuts them off, they may
seek out other sources. They may find a "dealer" to buy from. Or they
may begin forging prescriptions, altering legitimate
prescriptions, or calling in prescriptions by pretending to be a doctor.
In Utah, all of this behavior can result in felony
charges for prescription fraud,
possession of a
controlled substance,
and other criminal charges. If you have been charged with
prescription fraud or other drug charges, you need an experienced Utah
prescription fraud attorney.
Finding a Utah Criminal Defense Attorney in Salt Lake
Stephen Howard worked for several years in one of
Utah's felony drug court
programs, where he received extensive training and experience
in
dealing with the legal problems and understanding
the treatment issues that go along with a Utah prescription
fraud charge.
As an experienced Utah criminal defense attorney, Stephen Howard has
successfully handled many prescription fraud charges, drug possession
charges, and
many more serious
cases. His experiences both in the drug courts and
in Utah's trial courts have helped him develop a
defense strategy for
prescription fraud cases that addresses both the
legal and treatment needs of his clients.
Whether you are found not guilty at trial, or your case is dismissed as
a result of a
motion
to suppress, or you negotiate a resolution to a
reduced charge with probation, your legal case is only half the battle.
If you are fighting addiction, you will need to address the substance
abuse issues in your life, or you will likely end up right back in the
criminal justice system.
If you are facing a Utah prescription fraud charge, you need an
experienced
prescription
fraud attorney.
Contact
us now to schedule an initial consultation and case analysis with an
experienced
Salt
Lake criminal defense lawyer.