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DRAPER — A Salt Lake City man is facing felony charges after he allegedly filled a fraudulent prescription with candy before attempting to extort the prescription-holder.
According to documents filed Wednesday in 3rd District Court, Robert Lammle, 52, a pharmacist, was charged with:
- Solicitation of distribution of a controlled substance, a third degree felony
- Obtaining a prescription under false pretenses, a third degree felony
- Attempted theft by extortion, a class A misdemeanor
A coworker of Lammle's at a Kmart pharmacy in Draper told police that on October 20, a woman who was a frequent customer of the pharmacy presented a suspicious prescription for 240 oxycodone pills. Lammle verified with the doctor listed on the prescription that it was fraudulent and decided to "mess with" the woman by filling the prescription bottle with M&M candies and charging the woman $80, the charges state.
The woman told police that she called the pharmacy after realizing her prescription was filled with candy and Lammle told her he wanted $500 to keep quiet about the fraudulent prescription. She said later, Lammle called her and demanded $3,000 or he would go to the police, according to court documents.
Lammle instructed the woman to come to the pharmacy during his coworker's lunch hour so he could give her the fraudulent prescription of oxycodone to sell in order to pay him the $3,000, the charges state.
Lammle told a Drug Enforcement Administration investigator that he filled the prescription bottle with M&M candies and later gave her 240 oxycodone pills even though he knew the prescription was fraudulent, the documents state. Lammle said he told the woman he wanted money from her to pressure her into getting help and going to rehab.
Contributing: Randall Jeppesen
Email:benwood@desnews.com
