Two suspects alleged to have fraudulently acquired prescription medication were arrested last month.

Picayune Police Department Deputy Chief David Ervin said the arrest took place on Feb. 17, where the two suspects, Robert Doucet, 34, of 106 Burgetown Rd. #A, Carriere and Kristen Maguire, 33, of 6059 Argonne Blvd., New Orleans, were charged with 11 counts of fraud and acquisition of a controlled substance.

Employees of a local pharmacy alerted the department that Doucet allegedly was using forged prescriptions to acquire Hydrocodone. The employees discovered the discrepancy after a doctor told them he did not write the prescription Doucet was attempting to fill. Pharmacy records show that he had successfully filled 11 previous prescriptions allegedly written by the same doctor.

Ervin said evidence shows that Maguire allegedly stole multiple prescription pads from the east Jefferson Parish Hospital where she worked and forged the prescriptions with the signature and other information of a doctor with whom she regularly worked.

Further investigation showed that Doucet allegedly had filled about 40 other false prescriptions across Mississippi and Louisiana. The ongoing investigation could have Doucet and Maguire being charged with multiple charges from agencies in those areas, Ervin said.

Chief Jim Luke said it has been his experience the country’s current economic standing has caused a number of police agencies in all jurisdictions to have to work harder.

“Crime’s up when the economy’s down,” Luke said.

Luke and Ervin gave a nod to the community involvement that helped to tip them off to this and other recent crimes.

“Some of the criminals think when they come to small town, they are coming to Mayberry,” Luke said. “But they forgot about Aunt Bee.”

Ervin asks community members to continue their involvement since it only takes a minute for a crime to be over with. He said he would rather get information about a possible crime and have it turn out to be wrong than miss out on what a person thought might have seen a crime but failed to report it.

Luke said he also would like to compliment the hard work of his officers and investigators in this and other recent cases.