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Crime & Safety

Pharmacist's Tip Leads to Prescription Fraud Bust

Livermore police arrest two men on charges they attempted to fill phony prescriptions for pain killers and cough syrup at CVS and Target.

Two Oakland men were arrested Wednesday afternoon on suspicion of attempting to obtain cough syrup and pain pills at two Livermore stores after a pharmacist alerted police to what appeared to be fraudulent prescriptions.

Michael Seymour, 24, and Patrick Jacks, 29, were arrested on several counts of attempting to pass forged prescriptions, attempting to obtain controlled substances and parole violations, said Officer Scott Harrison of the .

In addition, the pair were arrested on burglary charges because they entered the business with intent to do crime, police said.

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Seymour also had an outstanding arrest warrant, Harrison said.

More charges were added when a clerk recalled the duo attempted the same scheme in February, according to police.

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Seymour and Jacks are currently being held in Santa Rita Jail at bail amounts of $92,000 and $80,000, respectively. Both were scheduled to appear for arraignment today in Alameda County Superior Court in Pleasanton.  

Seymour and Jacks on Wednesday took prescription orders for pain pills and cough syrup to the at 4405 First St., Harrison said.

The orders were reportedly prescribed from a hospital emergency room.

The pharmacist told the two men the medications would be ready for pick-up at 4 p.m., Harrison said.

The pair apparently then went across the street to the Target pharmacy and attempted to fill additional prescriptions for the same drugs.

Seymour and Jacks struck out at the Las Positas Road , however, as the staff refused to fill an order that did not appear legitimate, Harrison said.   

The CVS pharmacist, meanwhile, had alerted police to the suspicious prescriptions. Officers had the drug store under surveillance when the pair returned for the prescription pick-up.

The purchase never actually occurred, Harrison said.

Officers suspect additional accomplices, possibly in the parking lot, notified Seymour and Jacks of the police presence.

Viewing video surveillance from a backroom at CVS, police saw the men enter the store, answer cell phone calls and then abruptly exit without picking up the drug orders, Harrison said. 

Seymour and Jacks were immediately apprehended and arrested outside the CVS store, Harrison said. Arresting officers, along with Harrison, included Dave Morris, Mike Busevac and Kevin Little.

Other charges were added for Seymour and Jacks when a CVS clerk recalled the suspects from a similar incident last month, Harrison said.

On Feb. 17, Target pharmacists, from the Livermore store, reportedly declined to fill medication orders for Seymour and Jacks as the prescriptions' validity was questionable, Harrison said.

The pharmacists then phoned CVS to warn that customers with suspicious prescriptions could be headed to its store, he said.

Police confirmed through the pharmacies' records the suspects did attempt to acquire prescription narcotics that day, as well, adding the additional counts to the suspects' arrests, Harrison said.

The Livermore police investigation into the matter is far from over, Harrison said. Officers are tracing the source of the prescription pad, other pharmacies that may have sold narcotics to the suspects and for any accomplices.

During Wednesday's arrest, Harrison said a receipt found in Seymour's pocket showed he acquired 100 pain pills one day earlier from a pharmacy in Dublin.

Officers have not determined if the prescription forms used were forged or stolen, Harrison said. The prescriptions that Seymour and Jacks allegedly presented stated they were from the Highland General Hospital emergency room in Oakland, Harrison said.

Patient names on the allegedly fraudulent prescriptions varied, he added.

"They used a combination of their own names, fictitious names and friends' names," he said.

Seymour and Jacks have prior criminal records and aliases, according to the Alameda County court system. Seymour's aliases include Santiago Broughton and  Darrel Coleman, court records state. Jacks' aliases are Patrick Anthony Jacks and Patrick Anthony Malone, according to court filings.

Seymour is listed in inmate logs as being held in the infirmary at the Dublin jail. Harrison said Seymour, who was wearing a leg brace at the time of the arrest, told officers he was suffering from numerous injuries sustained in a November traffic accident.

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