Police Chase, Charges Follow Alleged Fraudulent Prescription Attempt

Two men are in Centre County jail after allegedly attempting to get fraudulent prescriptions filled at multiple pharmacies and trying to flee when approached by police.

According to a criminal complaint, a pharmacist at Walmart reported to Patton Township Police a suspected fraudulent prescription. She reportedly told police that at around 3 p.m. on Saturday a male called in a prescription for one pint of promethazine codeine cough syrup and 24 capsules of amoxicillin. She said she remembered an identical prescription being called in in December.

She researched the name of the doctor provided and found he practices in Washington, D.C. When she called a hospital in Washington she was told he was on vacation and would not have been calling in any prescriptions, police said.

A man using the last name ‘Atkins’ came into the store for the prescription a short time later, police said.

That same day, pharmacists at Wegmans and Target reported the same prescription, using the same doctor’s name, was called in for ‘Larry Atkins’ and ‘Timothy Atkins,’ according to the complaint.

On Sunday, a Wegmans pharmacist reported a male was attempting to purchase the prescription. When the pharmacist told him he would need to produce identification he left the store and was approached by a police officer. The man allegedly then fled through the parking lot and got into a vehicle driven by another man. Police said the men attempted to flee but were blocked in by another car. While the driver stayed in the vehicle, the man who attempted to make the purchase allegedly fled on foot and ignored numerous orders to stop.

Police said the man finally stopped when an officer displayed his taser. He was arrested inside of Applebees and identified as Kevin M. Lewis, 23, of Washington, D.C. The driver was identified as Ousmane Goloko, 28, of Randallstown, Md.

Lewis allegedly told police he had just recently met Goloko and that the two had driven to State College at Goloko’s request. He said that when they got to Wegmans Goloko asked Lewis to go inside and get a prescription, according to the complaint.

Both men were charged with felony counts of attempting to obtain a prescription by fraud and conspiracy to obtain a prescription by fraud. Lewis was also charged with escape, also a felony.

Lewis and Goloko were arraigned on Sunday before District Judge Kelley Gillette-Walker. Bail for Lewis was set at $200,000 and bail for Goloko was set at $150,000.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 5.