The Brownwood Police Department issued the following press release Wednesday morning:

On Tuesday, November 21, 2023, the Brownwood Police Department investigated a series of prescription fraud occurrences in our community.  One of the developing incidents was occurring in Brownwood, Texas at a local pharmacy while several others occurred this same date in other cities.  This incident relates to a pharmaceutical diversion scheme where individuals travel from metropolitan areas to smaller jurisdictions for the purposes of committing prescription fraud with the goal of unlawfully obtaining large amounts of controlled substances and dangerous drugs.  These controlled substances and dangerous drugs are then taken back to metropolitan cities by drug couriers where they are pooled together and then distributed to street level consumers on a large scale basis.

During the investigation, officials learned that at least three persons had engaged in organized criminal activity for the purpose of committing prescription fraud and obtaining a controlled substance or dangerous drug by forgery, fraud, misrepresentation, or deception.  Two of the persons traveled from Houston, Texas to other cities for the express purpose of obtaining controlled substances and dangerous drugs through the subterfuge of prescription fraud.  The third person remained in Houston and with plans to receive the fraudulently obtained controlled substances and dangerous drugs.

As the investigation unfolded, officers and detectives recovered sufficient evidence to develop probable cause to substantiate that the criminal combination of persons had fraudulently called in prescriptions to at least three separate pharmacies.  At each of those pharmacies, the suspects unlawfully obtained dangerous drugs and controlled substances from pharmacies located in Llano and Brady and they were in the process of picking up the prescription in Brownwood.

Investigators met with the pharmacist and at the conclusion of the investigation, 67-year-old Edmond Thomas Burton of Richmond Texas and 38-year-old Brent Lakeith Jones of Houston Texas were arrested as they attempted to pick up the prescriptions.  Both were charged with a variety of drug related crimes including Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance Over 400 grams, Prescription Fraud, and Possession of a Dangerous Drug.  Both individuals were transported to the Brown County Jail where they were processed and transferred to the jail personnel.

For Reference, the Possible Ranges of Punishment Are Listed Below:

• Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity – Special Felony (10Yrs-Life; 100K Fine)
• Man/Del of a Controlled Sub > 400 grams – Special Felony (10Yrs-Life; 100K Fine)
• Prescription Fraud – Schedule V Substance (Class A Misdemeanor)
• Possession of a Dangerous Drug (Class A Misdemeanor)

This incident remains an ongoing investigation and more arrests may be made in the future.