NM Woman Accused In Prescription Drug Case

A southern New Mexico woman is facing federal charges that she fraudulently acquired and distributed prescription pain medication.

The U.S. attorney's office says 32-year-old Veronica Hernandez of Mesilla Park appeared in federal court Monday. She's in a half-way house pending trial.

Hernandez has been under investigation since July, when federal drug agents received a complaint from a pharmacist alleging that she had filled a fraudulent prescription for 360 tablets of Oxycodone.

Investigators have accused Hernandez of fraudulently obtaining the pain medication on six other occasions and of distributing it to others.

A criminal complaint accuses her of unlawfully getting a total of 2,520 tablets of Oxycodone in a six-month period.

If convicted, prosecutors say Hernandez could face up to 20 years in prison.

It wasn't immediately clear if Hernandez had legal representation.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.