Tateum Richardson

A Minot man was sentenced to serve nine days in the Ward County Jail after entering a change of plea to guilty for using forged prescriptions to acquire controlled substances at pharmacies in Minot and Bismarck.

Tateum Sterling Richardson, 25, Minot, had been scheduled for a jury trial in January, but entered his change of plea on Tuesday in North Central District Court. Richardson pleaded guilty to two counts of acquiring controlled substance by misrepresentation or fraud, a Class C felony, and one Class A misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance-schedule II opiate. In accordance with a plea agreement, one count of acquiring controlled substance by misrepresentation or fraud and two Class A misdemeanor counts for possession of controlled substance were dismissed.

According to court documents, Richardson was charged after an investigation by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation found he and co-defendant Stephanie Rae Rogers, 27, Minot, used forged prescriptions at two Minot pharmacies and another in Bismarck.

The forged prescriptions listed the issuer as a pediatric doctor with the 5th Medical Group at Minot Air Force Base, and showed “void” watermarks when copied and scanned as evidence. The provider on the prescriptions confirmed with investigators that the hand issued prescriptions were fraudulent and forged. Richardson was later identified in security footage providing the forged documents to purchase oxycodone tablets and promethazine with codeine syrup.

Judge Gary Lee ordered Richardson to serve a concurrent sentence of 360 days in the Ward County Jail, to first serve nine days with credit for nine days already served. The felony charges will be deemed misdemeanors upon Richardson’s completion of two years of supervised probation.

Richardson was also ordered to complete a chemical dependency evaluation and to pay $1,100 in court fines and fees.

Rogers also changed her plea to guilty for her role in the scheme on Oct. 9, pleading guilty to a Class C felony count of acquiring controlled substance by misrepresentation or fraud, and possession of a schedule V depressant, a Class A misdemeanor. Lee sentenced Rogers to a suspended sentence of five years with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and two years of supervised probation.