Mayo Clinic Health System security officer helps nab men for fraudulent prescriptions
Austin MN Sept 8 2020
Three Chicago men who were allegedly involved in a plan to obtain drugs from Mayo Clinic Health System via fraudulent prescriptions made their first appearances on Thursday in Mower County District Court.
According to the court complaints, a security officer at Mayo Clinic Health System-Austin contacted police at about 12:24 p.m. on Sept. 1 to report two fraudulent prescriptions for controlled substances were called in at the Mayo pharmacy. One prescription, called in on Aug. 28, was for promethazine and codeine and was made by a person posing as a doctor. The responding officer learned that the prescription was picked up by a black male at about 5:20 p.m. that evening and that there was security footage of the person who received the prescription; however, the suspect was wearing a mask.
A second fraudulent prescription for the same controlled substance was received by the pharmacy on Sept. 1. The pharmacy subsequently learned that the DEA number of the doctor the individual claimed to be had been stolen.
At approximately 5:35 p.m., a detective was advised that the second fraudulent prescription was scheduled to be picked up at 6 p.m. The detective notified other law enforcement and they set up surveillance positions inside the hospital and near the pharmacy. A subject, later identified as Leshore, was soon dropped off by a 2019 Dodge Charger near the front entrance of the hospital. The Dodge left the parking lot as Leshore entered the hospital. Leshore arrived at the pharmacy and attempted to retrieve the fraudulent prescription, at which point officers advised him that he was under arrest. He attempted to run away and was apprehended. After a short chase and brief physical resistance, Leshore was taken into custody.
A Mower County deputy attempted to make contact with the occupants of the Dodge Charger, which was parked in a lot across the street from the hospital. The deputy saw the driver’s door was open. She told the occupants, Bush and Harmon, to show their hands after learning Leshore was resisting arrest; however, the vehicle sped away with Bush driving.
The deputy pursued the vehicle onto Fourth Street Northwest, where speeds reached about 75 miles per hour. The Dodge then turned west on Interstate 90 and drove in an erratic manner, weaving in and out of traffic and driving on the shoulder to pass other vehicles. The vehicle’s speed reached approximately 110 miles per hour and then it braked and drove through the median and began traveling east on Interstate 90. The deputy also crossed the median and continued the pursuit, where speeds were more than 110 miles per hour. The Dodge then exited at 28th Street Northeast and then re-entered the highway and continued east on Interstate 90.
As the Dodge got back onto the highway, the deputy observed the passenger (Harmon) throw a dark colored bottle out the window and into the south ditch. The Dodge then began to slow down and slowly came to a stop on the shoulder, where the deputy observed both occupants making furtive movements inside the vehicle.
Bush and Harmon then switched seats and the deputy pointed her pistol at the vehicle and told the pair to show their hands and keep their hands up. Harmon began to show his hands as Bush continued to make furtive movements inside the car. The deputy again ordered them to show their hands and they began to comply. An Austin police lieutenant then arrived on scene and the deputy ordered Harmon to exit the vehicle and to walk backward toward her. Harmon complied
The deputy advised other officers of the location where Harmon threw the object from the Dodge. An Austin police officer soon found the item – a prescription bottle in the name of “Charles Paige.” The bottle held 16 ounces of a liquid mixture containing promethazine hydrochloride and codeine phosphate, a schedule II controlled substance. When the suspects were searched, Bush was found to be in possession of $680 cash and Harmon was found to be in possession of $799 cash.
The deputy later learned the Dodge stopped because it was out of gas.
All three will appear in court again on Sept. 17.
Arrested:
Deandre Rashawn Harmon, 26
Cameron Daquan Bush 25
Marshawn Leshore, 25
