A licensed practical nurse facing a drug trafficking charge is accused of exploiting her position with Arkansas Health Education Center to acquire large amounts of prescription drugs.
Teresa Moody, 36, allegedly used her computer access at the clinic to print out prescriptions for drugs such as hydrocodone and have them filled at area pharmacies from November 2014 until her employment with AHEC ended, according to a probable cause affidavit used to create the following account.
Moody reportedly worked for AHEC from Aug. 6, 2012 to Aug. 29, 2015 as an LPN.
Clinic administrators told investigators they believe Moody obtained fraudulent prescriptions under at least five different names, including her own, which were filled and dispensed by four different Texarkana, Ark., pharmacies, according to the affidavit..
"Pharmacies in Texarkana, Texas, were being checked and at least one pharmacy in Ashdown, Ark., was located to have possibly filled a prescription for Mrs. Moody," the affidavit states.
AHEC administrators said the fraudulent prescriptions were discovered when a local pharmacy contacted the clinic Sept. 7 about a prescription for Tramadol, which the clinic determined was not validly issued and could allegedly be traced back to Moody.
AHEC could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Investigators allege that Moody filled fraudulent prescriptions for at least 1,440 hydrocodone pills; 360 Clonazepam pills; 150 Phentermine pills; 225 Alprazolam pills; and 30 Diazepam pills from September 2014 to August 2015 from four Texarkana, Ark., pharmacies.
The weight of the hydrocodone pills alone allows prosecutors to charge Moody with felony drug trafficking. If convicted, the offense is punishable by 10 to 40 years or life in an Arkansas prison.
Moody's Licensed Practical Nurse certification is listed as active on the Arkansas State Board of Nursing Website as of Thursday evening.