Monett pharmacy owner and pharmacy tech indicted on 34 counts

A Monett pharmacy owner and his technician have been charged by a grand jury with 34 felonies. Read portions of the press release from the Missouri Attorney General below:

Shane Becker, owner of the Old Town Pharmacy LLC, and Montserrat Ortega-Saucedo, a pharmacy technician at Old Town Pharmacy, were both indicted on 34 total counts in Cole County on Wednesday, April 21. A Cole County grand jury returned 26 counts of Violations Involving Health Care Payments (Class D Felony), 6 counts of Forgery (Class D Felony), one count of Identity Theft (Class C Felony), and one count of Stealing by Deceit (Class C Felony).

Counts one through 26 in the indictment allege that between May 3, 2018, and March 18, 2019, defendants Becker and Ortega-Saucedo knowingly made a false statement to receive a healthcare payment from MO HealthNet, Missouri’s Medicaid provider.

Counts 27 through 32 in the indictment allege that defendants Becker and Ortega-Saucedo forged several Medicaid recipients’ prescriptions.

Count 33 of the indictment alleges that defendants Becker and Ortega-Saucedo knowingly used MO HealthNet DCN numbers for six Medicaid recipients to appropriate approximately $25,000 from MO HealthNet.

Count 34 of the indictment alleges that defendants Becker and Ortega-Saucedo knowingly made false statements to MO HealthNet to receive a payment of approximately $25,000.

The charges against Becker and Ortega-Saucedo are allegations and, as in all criminal cases, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.