The prescription drug OxyContin, a synthetic pain reliever similar to morphine, is at the center of three related Mono Court cases.

Rick Blake, local mortgage broker, has pled guilty to obtaining prescription drugs through misrepresentation, according to Deputy District Attorney Tim Kendall.

Kendall reports that local pharmacist, John Arnold, has pled no contest to a felony charge of prescribing medications to an addict.

A third person, Dr. Michael Dostrow, has also been charged with 4 counts related to over prescribing medications.

Kendall explained that the situation came to light when a Bishop physician, Dr. George Kibbler, reported that someone had written prescriptions off of his prescription pads. This led investigators to Dr. Dostrow, who allegedly wrote the prescriptions, the pharmacist John Arnold who allegedly filled the prescriptions, and Rick Blake, the recipient.

Mammoth Police arrested Blake earlier this year for allegedly driving under the influence of a controlled substance, as well as various possession charges related to cocaine and crack cocaine allegedly ditched by Blake in both the back of a police car and the booking area of the Police Department. Kendall reports that Blake pled to charges related to this incident as well.

Dr. Dostrow has not pled to any charges, according to Kendall. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled in January.

John Arnold has been sentenced to one year of probation, $1000 in fines, 200 hours of community service and an ethics and law class for pharmacists.

Rick Blake is scheduled to be sentenced on the prescription drug felony January 24th.

 

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