OC Sheriff's Deputy Accused Of Fraudulently Obtaining Prescription Pain Killers
SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — An Orange County Sheriff's Deputy was arrested Friday on charges he illegally obtained prescription pills by fraud by lying to doctors about what pills he was already taking, officials said.
Mark Wayne Hewlett, 35, , of Yorba Linda, is charged with five felony counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, subterfuge and concealment.
If convicted, Hewlett faces a sentence ranging from possible probation to a maximum sentence of five years and eight months in jail.
He is scheduled to be arraigned on May 5.
Hewlett is accused of going to four different doctors between Sept. 9, 2013 and Nov. 15, 2013 and getting five prescriptions for the powerful pain killer Hydrocodone, more commonly referred to as Vicodin or Norco.
Senior Deputy DA Brock Zimmon of the Special Prosecutions Unit was assigned to the case.
This is not Hewlett's first run in with the law. In December 2009, he was accused of DUI when he crashed his personal vehicle into a planter in the front yard of an OC Supervisor. Police said Hewlett had a blood alcohol level of .13 almost two hours after crashing. At the time, police said they also found a Xanax on him for which he has no prescription. He was given probation in that case.
Hewlett -- who was off-duty when he was arrested -- is being held on $20,000 bail.
