An Eyota woman has been indicted on several federal charges for allegedly buying prescription drugs under fraudulent circumstances, using at least 31 aliases, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced today.
Nanci. M Dusso, 50, is charged with obtaining hydrocodone, oxycodone and codeine by using false names, dates of birth and Social Security fraud, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced today. Dusso appeared earlier today before Magistrate Judge Hildy Bowbeer in U.S. District Court in St. Paul.
According to the indictment, Dusso used at least 31 aliases to obtain or attempt to obtain prescription opiates from health-care providers at Mayo Clinic satellite locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Federal authorities allege Dusso commonly used out-of-state identities when visiting health-care providers, often complained of shoulder pain and suggested she was visiting a family member suffering from cancer.
If Dusso successfully convinced a health-care provider to prescribe medication, a physical therapy or pain management appointment also would be arranged for her. But Dusso did not attend the appointments, authorities say. The alleged crimes occurred between January 2013 and November 2013.
According to the press release, Dusso may have purchased more than 6,000 prescription opiates since as early as 2008 and visited more than 150 doctors in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Dusso allegedly used stolen Social Security numbers of people both living and deceased from different states.
ADVERTISEMENT
The case is the result of an investigation conducted by Rochester Police, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Drug Enforcement Administration and Social Security Administration.
Dusso faces one count of a controlled substance by fraud and three counts of Social Security fraud.
