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March 9, 2010

Local doctor arrested on drug charges

Carolyn Greer surrendered on Tuesday.

By Ken de la Bastide

A local doctor faces several felony drug charges following a lengthy investigation by the Howard County Sheriff Department.

Carolyn W. Greer, 40, of the 5200 block of Sugar Mill Road, Russiaville, faces one class D felony count of possession of a controlled substance, five class D felony counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, and one class D felony count of insurance fraud.

Greer turned herself in to authorities at the Howard County jail Tuesday and was released after posting a $1,000 cash bond.

Greer became the focus of an investigation after a local pharmacy contacted the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency last October concerning fraudulent prescriptions.

State Pharmacy Inspector Tim Thomas referred the case to Howard County Sheriff Deputy Matt Roberson, who conducts narcotics investigations for the sheriff department. Roberson interviewed dozens of witnesses concerning prescriptions used to obtain schedule III controlled substances.

A search warrant was served on Greer’s residence last Oct. 23. Deputies recovered a small quantity of schedule III pharmaceuticals that authorities suspect Greer had obtained fraudulently. During the investigation, pharmacy records were subpoenaed from several area drug and department stores.

Records were also obtained under subpoena from Howard Regional Health System.

Janet Knight, marketing director for Howard Regional, said Greer resigned her privileges with the hospital in March 2009.

A probable cause affidavit states that Greer was obtaining Hydrocodone and Lortab by writing prescriptions for family members, co-workers, friends and patients and having them filled at local pharmacies. The investigation started in October 2009 but covered a period dating back to 2008.

The probable cause affidavit states Greer would obtain 120 Hydrocodone tablets every 20 to 30 days. She continued writing prescriptions after leaving Howard Regional.

“Dr. Carolyn Greer commonly used different excuses to the women as to why she needed them to do this,” Roberson wrote. “Some excuses had to do with suffering injuries, general pain, leg cramps and wanting to remain under the radar of Howard Regional Hospital while she attempted to get hired back at the hospital.”

Greer would phone in prescriptions and have the drugs delivered to her, Roberson said.

During the serving of the search warrant, Dr. Jerry Greer told investigators neither he nor his wife had valid prescriptions for Hydrocodone. He said he found prescription bottles around the house in the names of other people or with the labels ripped off.

The probable cause said Dr. Jerry Greer would place the bottles in a safe in his office in the basement of their home. He admitted to dispensing the Hydrocodone to his wife until she could get to a rehabilitation facility.

“Greer was cooperative during the investigation, and she agreed to surrender herself once the charges were filed and a warrant was issued,” the affidavit said. Greer is being represented by Attorney Stephanie Doran.

Doran and Dr. Jerry Greer didn’t return telephone calls to the Kokomo Tribune.

The Howard County Sheriff Department was assisted during the investigation by the Indiana State Police and the Indiana attorney general’s office. 

“I am not in a position to comment on Greer’s status as a physician, or her connection with or to any local health care facility,” Sheriff Marty Talbert said. “We have forwarded a copy of our case file to the A.G.’s office for whatever action they deem necessary.”

• Ken de la Bastide is enterprise editor of the Kokomo Tribune. Contact him at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com or 765-454-8580.

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