Ex Medical Assistant Pleads Guilty

SEBRING - A Sebring woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges of drug trafficking and forgery for using her employment at a local doctor's office to fax fake prescription papers to local Walgreens to obtain prescription medication.

Ira Lorena Bareno, 28, of 1629 Lagrange Ave., entered a no-contest plea to charges that she obtained the drug Vicoprofen illegally.

Bareno, who is currently out on bond, has a Dec. 17 sentencing date set before Judge Peter Estrada in the Highlands County Courthouse.

Arrest reports provided by the Highlands County Sheriff's Office indicate that Bareno was employed on March 7, by Dr. Raji Sonni's office, 1550 Lakeview Drive, as a medical assistant when she faxed a fraudulent prescription to Walgreens, 93 US 27 S., in Avon Park. The prescription was for 50, 7.5mg/200mg pills.

On March 20, Bareno again faxed a prescription to a Walgreens, at 3619 US 27 N., in Sebring, for the same prescription.

Arrest reports black out the name Bareno listed on the prescription paperwork, but it does say that the person is not a patient of Sonni's.

Reports were not clear as to whether Bareno was using the medication personally or selling it.

Lt. Greg Pearlman, of the HSCO, who didn't work on Bareno's case, but is very aware of pill laws, said prescription drug fraud is becoming a problem nationally.

"The illegal use of prescription pills is becoming a more common form of drug abuse," said Pearlman. "Just about every household has medication in it, and there are many places where people can turn around and get it."

Pearlman said that the common pills he runs into are painkillers like Vicodin and OxyContin.

"A lot of times people who have a valid prescription don't use the pills," said Pearlman. "Or sometimes, like in (Bareno's) case, you have someone who goes around the law and obtains medication fraudulently."

Pearlman said that he sometimes runs into people who don't understand drug laws.

"If we come across someone who has open pills on them without a prescription bottle, that's a crime," said Pearlman. "The law states that the pills need to be in a prescribed bottle."