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Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Briones appears before Johnson
Isaac James Briones, 24, of Sunnyside, was charged in Lincoln County Superior Court on a charge of knowingly attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud. His attorney is in the background.
DAVENPORT - A Sunnyside man accused of attempting to pick up a fraudulent prescription appeared in Lincoln County Superior Court on Tuesday, July 15, and pleaded not guilty.
Isaac James Briones, 24, of Sunnyside, faces a Class C felony for knowingly attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud. Judge Dan B. Johnson presided over the hearing while Superior Court Judge Adam Walser is on military reserve duty.
Briones waived his right to a speedy trial, entered a not-guilty plea, and was appointed public defender Dave Hearrean. He was released after a $25,000 cash bail was posted on his behalf.
Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Albertson said Briones has no prior criminal history and appeared for his hearing as scheduled. However, Albertson requested pretrial conditions due to Briones lacking a local residence in Lincoln County.
The case began on June 3, according to court documents, when Davenport Pharmacy reported receiving two suspicious electronic prescriptions at 3:49 a.m. for promethazine with codeine - a controlled substance - and azithromycin. The prescriptions were made out to a "Julie Reed" with a Davenport address that turned out to be false. The listed birthdate and identity also could not be verified.
According to the probable cause statement, pharmacy staff contacted the prescribing physician, Dr. Stephanie Patrick-Calvillo of Clovis, Calif., who said she had received multiple calls about prescriptions falsely issued under her name.
Records show that on June 5, deputies responded to the pharmacy after a man came to collect the prescription. They contacted Briones near the pharmacy counter. Briones told deputies he was picking up the prescription for a friend named "Marcus Ortiz" and admitted he thought the situation seemed "fishy."
According to court documents, Briones was found to be texting someone saved in his phone as "John Doe," who instructed him to leave and not speak with police. Deputies reported Briones deleted the messages during their interaction. A records check revealed his license was suspended in the second degree, and he was arrested.
During an interview at the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, Briones allegedly said he had been communicating with individuals through the messaging app Telegram. Records show he claimed a person he knew as a rapper in California directed him to pick up prescriptions and contact various pharmacies. He also told investigators he had previously collected prescriptions in Spokane and exchanged them at the Pasco airport for oxycodone pills, which he admitted to using.
Briones was booked on one count of Prohibited Acts under RCW 69.50.403(1)(c) and for driving while license suspended in the second degree.
The felony carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $2,000 fine.
A readiness hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 19. Trial is set for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10.
Albertson said the only known associate in the case is a rapper based in California, but that person's identity remains unknown.
Olivia Harnack is the award-winning managing editor/photographer/videographer/columnist at the Lincoln County Record-Times, with offices in both Davenport and Odessa, Wash. She is a University of Idaho graduate and a U.S. Army National Guardsman.
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