Newark woman sentenced for using falsified prescriptions to obtain oxycodone

LINDEN, NJ — Christine Powell, of Newark, has been sentenced to jail after admitting to trying to use falsified prescriptions to obtain large quantities of high-dose oxycodone pills at a Linden pharmacy late last year, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay Ruotolo and Linden Police Chief David Hart jointly announced Sept. 14. Powell, 60, was ordered to serve two years of probation, to be followed by six months in the Union County Jail, according to the terms set by Union County Superior Court Judge Robert Kirsch.

The matter is the result of an investigation by the Linden Police Department, which determined that, in late 2019, Powell attempted to obtain a total of 90 oxycodone pills, each 30mg, at a CVS/pharmacy in Linden on two separate occasions, using fraudulent prescriptions. As a result, Powell was charged with third-degree forgery and third-degree attempting to obtain a controlled dangerous substance by fraud. She pleaded guilty to the former charge on July 21.