Chicago woman faces charges for role in prescription drug scheme

IOWA CITY - A Chicago woman has been arrested for her role in a scheme to obtain prescriptions of codeine and bring them back to Illinois.

According to Iowa City police criminal complaints, Tezrah S. Billingsley, 23, came to Iowa City and visited the CVS pharmacy twice and Kmart pharmacy once. In each instance, Billingsley said she was picking up a prescription of Phenergan with codeine for another individual.

In reality, the prescriptions were being called in by a man who claimed to be a doctor out of Cedar Rapids. Police said the man provided a real name and valid Drug Enforcement Agency number. The criminal complaint does not state how the man - who is not named in the complaints - obtained the doctor's information.

Billingsley told police she was to be paid $25 for each prescription she obtained.

Codeine is an opiate pain reliever that is also used to treat coughs and diarrhea. Like other opioids, it can be abused and produce a high for the user.

Billingsley was arrested and faces three counts of prohibited acts, a Class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison.