LUFKIN, TX (KTRE) -
A 43-year-old former medical assistant at Dr. Carlton J. Lewis' clinic was arrested for fraudulent possession of a controlled substance or prescription after she allegedly obtained multiple prescriptions using the doctor's name in 2011.
Rebecca Hartless Batson, of Lufkin, was booked into the Angelina County Jail on Monday and charged with fraudulent possession of a controlled substance or prescription, which is a third-degree felony. She was released later that day after she posted a $5,000 bail.
According to the arrest affidavit filed by an agent with the Texas Department of Public Safety's Regulatory Crimes Service, Lewis learned that Batson, a former medical assistant at his clinic, was allegedly obtaining illegal prescriptions for controlled substances under his name, without his permission. The affidavit stated that Batson was allegedly calling in her own prescriptions for Hydrocodone, Xanax, Ambien, and Clonazepam.
The DPS agent then conducted a check on Batson through the DPS's in-house prescription drug database and looked up her prescription history, the affidavit stated. The history indicated "an overwhelming amount of incidences" where Batson allegedly obtained the aforementioned drugs using prescriptions that were supposedly issued to Lewis.
Further investigation in the spring of 2012 revealed that Batson was picking up the prescriptions at Abeldt's Gaslight Pharmacy. The owner of the pharmacy told the DPS agent that Batson had been coming in to pick up the prescriptions for an extended amount of time. Buford Abeldt also told the DPS agent that sometime in March 2012, he confronted Lewis, who had come in on unrelated business, about Batson's prescription activity, the affidavit stated.
Abeldt also provided the DPS agent with a print-out of Batson's prescription history from April 21, 2011 to August 26, 2011," which contained numerous entries for cashed controlled substance prescriptions allegedly authorized under Dr. Lewis' name."
The DPS agent also spoke to Lewis and his office manager, according to the affidavit. They confirmed that Batson had been employed at the clinic until Lewis confronted her about the prescription fraud on March 12, 2012. Batson turned in her key and was placed on leave the next day, the affidavit stated.
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Rebecca Batson (Source: Angelina County Jail)
