The state attorney general’s office charged a former employee of the Washington Health System for forging prescriptions for herself since 2016.
Marisa Magnelli, 56, of Washington Township, Fayette County, faces five charges of forgery, three charges of engaging in a criminal conspiracy to obtain a controlled substance through forgery, obtaining a controlled substance through forgery and five counts of identity theft.
Magnelli’s husband, Kenneth Bitowski, 57, her daughter, Erika Stover, 27, of Luzerne Township, and her ex-boyfriend, Edward Bulko, 60, of Newell Borough, all received similar charges.
According to the criminal complaint, Bitowski, Stover and Bulko would purchase prescriptions with the knowledge they were forged, and then give the pills to Magnelli.
Magnelli worked as a medical assistant for Washington Health System. Court documents describe her as a “floater,” working in several physicians’ offices in Washington County.
She allegedly told investigators she had been forging prescriptions from 2016 until she was fired in June 2019.
According to the complaint, she accessed 46 patients records in order to print prescriptions in her own name as well as in the names of her co-conspirators.
Magnelli filled out prescriptions for hydrocodone, oxycodone, codeine and Tylenol, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, Magnelli forged the signatures of five different doctors on these prescriptions.
Magnelli, Bitowski and Stover were arraigned Monday morning and released on $10,000 unsecured bond, set by District Judge Robert Redlinger. Bulko is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.
All four are scheduled to appear before Redlinger for a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 6.
