Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Rhode Island

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 16, 2020

PROVIDENCE – A Providence woman admitted to a federal court judge on Wednesday that she participated in a conspiracy to create and use fraudulent prescriptions to gain and distribute opioid pills.

Tammy Bonham, 55, admitted her role in a scheme to manufacture fraudulent prescriptions utilizing the identities, Drug Enforcement Administration identification numbers, and signatures of medical practitioners without their consent. Prescriptions for varying amounts of oxycodone pills were written and presented to pharmacies by some members of the conspiracy and others working at the direction of the conspirators. Often times, the prescriptions were paid for with the fraudulent use of medical insurance.

Most of the oxycodone pills gained with the use of fraudulent prescriptions were sold to others for distribution.

Appearing before U.S. District Court William E. Smith, Bonham pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Jeffrey Ebersole Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations.

Bonham is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24, 2020. Conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment to be followed by 3 years supervised release.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.

The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations task force, with the assistance of Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General.

United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Jeffrey Ebersole Special Agent in Charge of Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation, thank the Office of Program Integrity, Executive Office of Rhode Island Health and Human Services for their assistance during this investigation.

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Topic(s):
Opioids
Component(s):
USAO - Rhode Island
Contact:
Jim Martin (401) 709-5357
Press Release Number:
20-05