Oakdale-Area Woman Appears in Court on Charges of Filling Fraudulent Prescriptions

A Lake Elmo woman made her first appearance in a Washington County court on Nov. 10 after being charged with one count of felony fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance.

Leita Rayanne Trudeau, 42, was arrested by Oakdale police on Aug. 26 after she allegedly tried to fill a forged prescription for the narcotic Vicoprofen under the name “Faith Demarco.”

According to a Washington County District Court complaint, Oakdale police were called after a pharmacist at became suspicious when a voicemail from a person claiming to be Demarco’s nurse provided much more information than is normally given.

The pharmacist told police that the nurse identified herself as “Pam” and said she worked for Dr. Wylie Zhu of United Neurosurgery Associates in St. Paul, the complaint stated.

The complaint also said the Rainbow Foods pharmacist confirmed that the head nurse in Dr. Zhu’s office reported no knowledge of a patient named Faith Demarco. The nurse also denied calling in the original prescription.

When presented with this information, Oakdale police arrested Trudeau, who fully admitted to calling in the false prescription and posing as Faith Demarco, the complaint says.  

During its investigation, Oakdale police found Dr. Zhu’s name to have been used to fill three more fraudulent prescriptions under the name “Heather Hanson” at the pharmacy in June and July, the complaint stated.

The complaint said Walgreens pharmacists also contacted Dr. Zhu’s office in July after becoming suspicious of the prescriptions for Heather Hanson. Nurses there told them they had no patient named Heather Hanson.

Oakdale police re-interviewed Trudeau on Aug. 27 and confronted her with the Heather Hanson information—including receipts, a contact phone number and surveillance video.

Trudeau again admitted to filling the fraudulent prescriptions and posing as Heather Hanson, the complaint says.

At this time, Trudeau has not been charged in the Heather Hanson crimes to which she admitted guilt.

If convicted of the Faith Demarco offense, Trudeau faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

She is scheduled to again appear in court for an omnibus hearing on Feb. 2.