Texas Health and Safety Code 481.129 – Offense: Fraud
(a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly:
(1) distributes as a registrant or dispenser a controlled substance listed in Schedule I or II, unless the person distributes the controlled substance as authorized under the federal Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. § 801 et seq.);
(2) uses in the course of manufacturing, prescribing, or distributing a controlled substance a Federal Drug Enforcement Administration registration number that is fictitious, revoked, suspended, or issued to another person;
(3) issues a prescription bearing a forged or fictitious signature;
(4) uses a prescription issued to another person to prescribe a Schedule II controlled substance;
(5) possesses, obtains, or attempts to possess or obtain a controlled substance or an increased quantity of a controlled substance:
(A) by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge;
(B) through use of a fraudulent prescription form;
(C) through use of a fraudulent oral or telephonically communicated prescription; or
(D) through the use of a fraudulent electronic prescription; or
(6) furnishes false or fraudulent material information in or omits material information from an application, report, record, or other document required to be kept or filed under this chapter.
(a-1) A person commits an offense if the person, with intent to obtain a controlled substance or combination of controlled substances that is not medically necessary for the person or an amount of a controlled substance or substances that is not medically necessary for the person, obtains or attempts to obtain from a practitioner a controlled substance or a prescription for a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, subterfuge, or concealment of a material fact. For purposes of this subsection, a material fact includes whether the person has an existing prescription for a controlled substance issued for the same period of time by another practitioner.
Attorney's Note
Under the Texas Codes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| State jail felony | between 180 days and 2 years | up to $10,000 |
| Class A misdemeanor | up to 1 year | up to $4,000 |
| Class B misdemeanor | up to 180 days | up to $2,000 |
Terms Used In Texas Health and Safety Code 481.129
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Forgery: The fraudulent signing or alteration of another's name to an instrument such as a deed, mortgage, or check. The intent of the forgery is to deceive or defraud. Source: OCC
- Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Signature: includes the mark of a person unable to write, and "subscribe" includes the making of such a mark. See Texas Government Code 312.011
(b) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly or intentionally:
(1) makes, distributes, or possesses a punch, die, plate, stone, or other thing designed to print, imprint, or reproduce an actual or simulated trademark, trade name, or other identifying mark, imprint, or device of another on a controlled substance or the container or label of a container for a controlled substance, so as to make the controlled substance a counterfeit substance; or
(2) manufactures, delivers, or possesses with intent to deliver a counterfeit substance.
(c) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly or intentionally:
(1) delivers a prescription or a prescription form for other than a valid medical purpose in the course of professional practice; or
(2) possesses a prescription for a controlled substance or a prescription form unless the prescription or prescription form is possessed:
(A) during the manufacturing or distribution process;
(B) by a practitioner, practitioner’s agent, or an institutional practitioner for a valid medical purpose during the course of professional practice;
(C) by a pharmacist or agent of a pharmacy during the professional practice of pharmacy;
(D) under a practitioner’s order made by the practitioner for a valid medical purpose in the course of professional practice; or
(E) by an officer or investigator authorized to enforce this chapter within the scope of the officer’s or investigator’s official duties.
(d) An offense under Subsection (a) is:
(1) a felony of the second degree if the controlled substance that is the subject of the offense is listed in Schedule I or II;
(2) a felony of the third degree if the controlled substance that is the subject of the offense is listed in Schedule III or IV; and
(3) a Class A misdemeanor if the controlled substance that is the subject of the offense is listed in Schedule V.
(d-1) An offense under Subsection (a-1) is:
(1) a felony of the second degree if any controlled substance that is the subject of the offense is listed in Schedule I or II;
(2) a felony of the third degree if any controlled substance that is the subject of the offense is listed in Schedule III or IV; and
(3) a Class A misdemeanor if any controlled substance that is the subject of the offense is listed in Schedule V.
(e) An offense under Subsection (b) is a Class A misdemeanor.
(f) An offense under Subsection (c)(1) is:
(1) a felony of the second degree if the defendant delivers:
(A) a prescription form; or
(B) a prescription for a controlled substance listed in Schedule II; and
(2) a felony of the third degree if the defendant delivers a prescription for a controlled substance listed in Schedule III, IV, or V.
(g) An offense under Subsection (c)(2) is:
(1) a state jail felony if the defendant possesses:
(A) a prescription form; or
(B) a prescription for a controlled substance listed in Schedule II or III; and
(2) a Class B misdemeanor if the defendant possesses a prescription for a controlled substance listed in Schedule IV or V.