Telford Woman is Fugitive for Failing to Appear at Hearing

Dianna Laird, 33, of the 100 block of Reliance Place in Telford is now a fugitive.

Laird failed to appear at a preliminary hearing Tuesday morning before Judge Albert Augustine at District Court in Schwenksville to face 12 charges - including eight felonies - related to an incident where she allegedly attempted to pass a fake prescription for Roxicodone at Rann Pharmacy in Lower Salford Township.

All charges against Laird were waived to Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, due to her failure to appear. Charges include:

• Two counts of felony forgery
• Two counts of felony criminal conspiracy to commit forgery
• Two counts of misdemeanor theft by deception
• Two counts of misdemeanor criminal conspiracy to commit theft by deception
• Two counts of felony acquisition or obtaining of possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation
• Two counts of felony criminal conspiracy to commit the violation of acquisition of a controlled substance.

According to Pennsylvania law, if a court finds a defendant's absence is without good cause and after notice, the absence is deemed a waiver and the defendant cannot present any further proceedings before a court.

According to law, the Commonwealth must notify Laird of the results of the hearing via mail and that a bench warrant has been requested.

Laird is awaiting drug charges and arraignment in the bathroom of Wawa at Forty Foot Road and Welsh Road.

Corporeal Vincent Medveckus of Lower Salford Township Police said Laird could be picked up on an arrest warrant by Montgomery County Sheriffs prior to her August 29 arraignment at Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas.

If Laird is picked up by sheriffs, then a new arraignment date can be set.

Laird pleaded guilty in January 2010 to felony forgery and misdemeanor charges of receiving stolen property, theft, two counts of access device fraud, two counts of knowlingly possessing a counterfeit access device, and two counts of identity theft, according to court records. The charges stemmed from an October 2009 arrest in Quakertown Borough. 

Laird was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay restitution, according to court records.

Laird pleaded guilty in 2005 to drug possession and use stemming from a Montgomery Township arrest. She was sentenced to one year probation.

Here's what went down in Lower Salford on April 20, 2012 at 3:59 p.m.:

Lower Salford Township Police were dispatched to Rann Pharmacy at 371 Main Street for a report of a fraudulent prescription.

Upon arrival, police spoke to Greg Segner, owner of Rann Pharmacy. Segner told police that there was a white female, later identified as Laird, attempting to pass a fradulent prescription for Roxicodone that was issued by Dr. Michael Thomas of Temple University Hospital, police said.

Segner called the number on the prescription to verify the legitimacy of the prescription, but a man answered the phone, police said. Segner told police that it was extremely suspicious.

Segner told police that Laird had a prescription for the same medication filled on April 3, 2012, police said, issued by Dr. Elizabeth Lee of Temple University Hospital.

Segner identified Laird as wearing a white zip-up hooded sweatshirt and was sitting on the waiting bench.

Police spoke with Laird, who was extremely nervous when asked about the prescription, according to the affidavit.

Laird told police that the prescription was fraudulent and that her friend "Doe" signed the prescription, police said in the affidavit.

Laird was taken into custody and taken to Lower Salford Township Police Department.

Laird was advised of her Miranda Rights at the station, according to the affidavit. She told police she understood her rights and would speak to officers, police said. She read and signed the legal rights form, police said.

During a question-and-answer session with Laird, she told police that she previously passed a fraudulent prescription on April 3, 2012 at Rann Pharmacy, police said.

She told police that the prescription was from Dr. Lee of Temple University Hospital for Roxicodone, police said.

She told police she attempted to pass another fraudulent prescription for Roxicodone on the day of her arrest, police said. She said that prescription was from Dr. Thomas of Temple University Hospital, police said. 

Laird told police that "Doe" signed Dr. Thomas's name on the prescription in front of her in the parking lot, police said.

At the time of her arrest, Laird told police she had $140 that she was going to use to purchase the Roxicodone, police said. 

Police seized the money and the two prescriptions.

Both fraudulent prescriptions were written for 30 milligrams tablets of Roxicodone, police said.

Police contacted Dr. Elizabeth Lee and Dr. Michael Thomas, who are real doctors working at Temple University Hospital.

Lee and Thomas both told police that they neither issued a prescription to Laird nor had Laird as a patient, police said. Both doctors told police their signatures were forged and they did not give anyone permission to sign their names.

The phone number on both prescriptions went to a voicemail for "Nikki," police said.

The DEA numbers for Thomas and Lee on the prescriptions were the doctors' actual DEA numbers, police said.