Published: May 09, 2008 10:52 am         

Accused pill dealer says no to offer

Logansport woman taking her chances with judge at June sentencing

A former pharmacy technician accused of stealing prescription pills and selling them decided to reject the prosecution’s plea deal and take her chances with the judge at sentencing.

In Cass Circuit Court Thursday, 30-year-old Heidi Mae Anderson of Logansport changed her plea to guilty. Represented privately by attorney Brad Rozzi after firing public defender Jay Hirschauer in court last year, Anderson pleaded open, which means no sentencing guidelines were worked out between the defense and prosecution. The terms of her punishment will be left up to Judge Leo Burns.

Anderson is charged with dealing in a schedule IV controlled substance. The charge is a class C felony carrying a sentencing range of two to eight years with the Indiana Department of Correction.

The case against Anderson is nearly two years old. In establishing a factual basis for her plea, Anderson admitted that in June 2006, she worked at CVS Pharmacy on East Market Street in Logansport. While at work, she reportedly stole about 30 generic Xanax, a schedule IV controlled substance.

Anderson was arrested by the Cass County Drug Task Force, which had set up a controlled drug buy, according to court records. Anderson reportedly sold the pills to a confidential informant for $120 in the parking lot of a local gas station.

According to a police report, undercover officers stopped Anderson at Seventh and North streets. The buy money, which had been photo copied by police, was reportedly found in Anderson’s pocket.

In August of last year, the state filed a motion to order Anderson to stay away from the pharmacy. She reportedly had entered the store and spoken to employees about the charges against her.

At the plea hearing Thursday, details of the deal offered by the prosecution were not revealed. Chief Deputy Prosecutor Lisa Swaim objected to Rozzi detailing the specifics. Rozzi responded by informing the court that he had no intention of doing so. He just wanted to go on the record that an offer had been made to Anderson, but she had refused and was willing to take her chances with the judge determining the sentence.

Anderson decided to “go it alone,” as Rozzi put it.

After hearing the testimony from Anderson, Burns accepted her plea change and found her guilty. Anderson told the judge she understood the implications of her decision to waive her right to a trial.

Sentencing was set for 1 p.m. on June 26.

Kevin Lilly can be reached at (574) 732-5117, or via e-mail at kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com