Hamilton man accused of having hundreds of pills is in jail

HAMILTON, Ohio - A Hamilton man is behind bars for being accused of getting hundreds of prescription pills from doctors to sell on the street.

An undercover narcotics agent said Richard Mincher was getting prescriptions for more than 500 pills a month from two doctors, one locally and one in Florida.

"He flew down to Florida, obtained 196 Oxycodone, 30 mg, 112 Dilaudid and within a week those drugs were sold," the agent said.

Mincher took monthly flights to Tampa from Dayton to see a doctor who prescribed pain killers.

"He flies down in the morning, goes to the doctor, goes back to the airport, then goes home," according to the agent.

Investigators said it had been going on since August of last year.

Police searched Mincher’s home last week and found empty pill bottles, a handgun and $7,000 in cash. They also found a Florida ID card with his name and picture.

"You take away the cost of his flight, the cost of the medication down there that he's paying cash for. Straight up profit, you're talking easily five grand," the agent said.

In cases like this, pharmacies are the first line of defense in catching prescription drug abusers.

"Probably a couple times a week somebody comes in trying to pass a prescription that we don't feel is a valid prescription," said Chad Worz, founder of Community First Pharmacy.

They check prescriptions against a statewide database and have heavy duty security to keep criminals at bay.
But, since databases in different states aren’t connected, it’s hard to keep track of who’s buying what.

Meanwhile, Ohio launched a campaign this week to curb prescription drug abuse.

As for Mincher, he’s being held in jail on a probation violation. His felony drug charges are pending.

If you’re aware of any suspicious activity call the Butler County Sheriff's Office at (513) 887-3029.