Task force busts 4 people in area prescription drug ring

Officers working with the recently created Scott County-Mississippi County Prescription Drug Task Force broke up a prescription drug ring operating in Sikeston, Charleston, Chaffee, East Prairie and Cape Girardeau, according to a news release from the Scott County Sheriff's Department.

Mississippi County Sheriff Keith Moore received a report of a theft of prescription pads from a physician in Charleston, and task force members began gathering information on several suspects, using local pharmacies.

That information resulted in the arrest of four people.

Lori Burton, 29, of Scott City, Lisa Poteet, 28, of Chaffee, Joseph Menz, 27, of Chaffee and Bryan K. Sturm, 28, of Scott City, were arrested in connection with the bust. Burton and Poteet face charges of fraudulently attempting to obtain a controlled substance.

Sturm was charged with making a false affadvit and fraudulently attempting to obtain a controlled substance. Menz faces six counts of forgery, six counts of fraudulently attempting to obtain a controlled substance and one count of stealing.