W.Va. man accused of faking being ill faces more charges

Steven Lee Mohn was arraigned Monday on 14 counts of prescription fraud

June 19, 2012|By MATTHEW UMSTEAD | matthew.umstead@herald-mail.com

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Felony prescription drug-related charges continue to mount against a Martinsburg man accused of faking terminal cancer after a benefit for him raised more than $4,200 in contributions earlier this year.

Steven Lee Mohn, 38, is accused of fraudulently obtaining prescriptions for 2,270 tablets of oxycodone, a powerful pain relief narcotic, from three physicians since December 2011, according to Berkeley County Magistrate Court records.

Mohn was arraigned Monday on 14 counts of prescription fraud by Magistrate JoAnn Overington, the court records said.

Mohn, who was previously charged with two counts of distribution of a controlled substance (oxycodone and Xanax), waived his right to a preliminary hearing on those charges Tuesday in Magistrate Court, according to Berkeley County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Richard Stephens.

Mohn has been incarcerated at Eastern Regional Jail since Monday, and Stephens said the defendant’s bond has been revoked.

Mohn obtained oxycodone from physicians in Bethesda, Md., Washington, D.C, and Martinsburg, and each of the doctors were unaware that the defendant was obtaining the drug from another physician, court documents said.

Mohn signed a pain-management treatment agreement with the Bethesda physician in July 2011, and a similar agreement with Washington doctor in October, but didn’t start filling prescriptions until December, the documents said.

The first two prescriptions filled in December were for 120 and 150, 30-milligram tablets, the documents said.

In January, the Washington physician doubled Mohn’s prescription from 120 to 240 tablets per month, while the prescription received from the Bethesda physician remained unchanged, documents said.

During the six-month period in question, 50 tablets were obtained through two prescriptions Mohn received in February from the Martinsburg physician, documents said.

In May, a confidential informant purchased $870 in oxycodone and Xanax pills from Mohn at the ROCS convenience store on W.Va. 45 east of Martinsburg, documents said.

After the drug deal, West Virginia State Police found Xanax pills and more than $3,900 in Mohn’s possession, documents said.

Mohn’s arrest on the distribution charges came less than two weeks after he was arraigned on one count of false pretenses stemming from alleged fraudulent claims of having cancer. A preliminary hearing for that case is scheduled for next week.

Witnesses told West Virginia State Police Cpl. J.M. Walker that Mohn claimed earlier this year to only have 12 to 18 months to live after developing cancer in lymph nodes in his pelvis, chest and neck.

The May 6 benefit to raise money for Mohn — a poker run featuring live music, free food, games, a 50/50 raffle and door prizes — raised $4,260 in contributions, the court records said.

|

|

|