Full Notification

VENTURA COUNTY INTERAGENCY PHARMACEUTICAL CRIMES UNIT
News Story Release

Nature of Incident: Fraudulent Prescription Arrest
Report Number: 18-86939
Location: Ventura & Los Angeles Counties
Date & Time: June 5th, 2018
Unit(s) Responsible: Ventura County Interagency Pharmaceutical Crimes Unit (PCU)

(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age
(S) Brenda Lepik, Granada Hills, 55

Narrative:

On June 5th 2018, detectives from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Interagency Pharmaceutical Crimes Unit (PCU) concluded a three month fraudulent prescription investigation into Brenda Lepik.

Detectives located and detained Lepik in Simi Valley as she was entering a local pharmacy in an attempt to pick up another fraudulent prescription for Tramadol. During this investigation detectives were able to determine Lepik had been fraudulently obtaining prescriptions for Tramadol since at least 2012. Lepik would call various pharmacies pretending to be a doctor or office staff and attempt to have a prescription for Tramadol filled over the phone. Once the prescription was filled, Lepik would then go pick it up. In a one year period from April 2017 through April 2018, Lepik obtained 5,190 fraudulent dosages of Tramadol. It was also determined Lepik was using insurance to pay for some of the fraudulent prescriptions.

Lepik was booked into custody at the Ventura County Sheriff’s Main Jail facility for multiple counts of 4324(a) H&S – forged prescription, 459 PC – commercial burglary, 530.5 PC – identity theft and 550(a)(1) pc – insurance fraud.

On June 7th, 2018, this case was forwarded to the District Attorney’s office for review. The District Attorney’s office elected to file 38 total counts against Lepik. During Lepik’s arraignment, she was released on her own recognizance.

The Ventura County Interagency Pharmaceutical Crimes Unit is a task force made up of members from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Thousand Oaks Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, the Simi Valley Police Department, and the Ventura Police Department. The primary mission of the task force is combatting the transfer of legal prescription medication to the illegal market. In addition, the task force works to identify and stop new trends of abuse among the younger population and investigates overdoses due to both prescription medication and illicit drug use.

The public may also anonymously use the email [email protected] to report pharmaceutical related crimes involving prescription medications.


Prepared by: Sergeant Matthew Young
News Release Date: June 12th 2018
Media Follow-Up Contact: Detective Matt Winter
(805) 797-6401
[email protected]

Approved by: Captain Robert Thomas