| OCR Text |
Show MGM casino workers, doc get caught By ANG1E WAGNER - Associated Press Writer For two IAS VEGAS lyears, seve al Las Vegas Icaino waitresses and dealers gave themselves the ;VIP treatment, getting Jbre.ast implants and tummy ;t ucks by defrauding their jinsurance company, investi-gator- s : . Provo, Utah, Friday, May 5, 2000 THE DAILY HERALD, (www.HarlTheHerald.com), Page A10 . say. Investigators uncovered scheme in which workers jat the MGM Grand and jother Las, Vegas casinos .'were recruited to have ic surgery that was (billed to their insurance as i a cos-im- Ritalin: The recreational drug? By NICOLE ZIEGLER "It has the potential for abuse, so we would be looking at that, and we'll DIZON Associated Press Writer CHICAGO Already controversial as a prescription drug, the mild stimulant Ritalin may be gaining popularity as a recreational drug for teens and Officials at a middle school in Chicago's suburbs announced this week that they had disciplined 15 students accused of selling or abusing the drug. Federal drug enforcers list it among the top controlled prescription drugs reported stolen in the United States. Its street names include "Vitamin R" s. pre-teen- - , DEA spokeswoman Rogene Waitc. Your bunctious children and that effects are its long-terunclear. According to the DEA, a 1997 Indiana University survey of 44,232 young people showed that nearly 7 percent of high school students reported using Ritalin recreationally at least once in the previous year, and 2.5 abuse going on," Molina 1 source for buying and selling- - www.sweetdealclassifieds.com said. No v a r t i s Pharmaceuticals Corp., the maker of Ritalin, said in a statement that millions of ADHD patients have been treated safely using the drug. Recreational users probably take more than the recommended doses of the drug to increase its stimulant-effec- t, percent reported using it monthly or more often. Emergency room admissions studied by the federal Abuse and Substance Some psychiatrists point out that no definitive studies exist on the extent of Ritalin ; waitresses, dealers and other employees of the 'MGM and other casinos as being involved in the scam, said FBI" agent Joseph continue to monitor it." and"R-Ball.- " medically necessary. "One might say that it's ""sui t of a slice "of Las Vegas .Americana," federal prosethan other stimulants. Even cutor Marc Garber said. so, the Drug Enforcement On Wednesday, Sophia Administration lists Ritalin, Dao Stack, 51, of Anaheim, known as also Calif., became the fourth methylphenidate or MPH," p rson to plead guilty in the as one of the agency's "drugs scheme,: admitting to conof concern." spiracy. The FBI said she "It has the potential for recruited the employees for .abuse, so we would be look"cosmetic surgery. ing at that, and we'll continr Also pleading guilty were ue to monitor it," said DEA a Beverly Hills, Calif., surspokeswoman Rogene Waite. geon, the owner- - of the Ritalin is commonly preCalifornia clinic where the scribed to young children '.surgery was done and an with attention deficit hyperM ( I M worker who was" a activity disorder. Some patient in 1997. contend that is often experts Altogether, the investigaunnecessarily given to ram- tion has identified 12 to 16 ! 373-645- 0: i w i J WW rlng coupons founJ Here ' jV--y'- said Jerry Frankenheim, a pharmacologist with the National s Dally ne saia jiign aoses oi Ritalin may cause convul- iAumiiiisiruuuu tuuuu uiab in 1995 and 1996, patients ages 10 to 14 were just as to mention likely cocaine as methylphenidate in a emergency room episode. Nearly 75 per- sions, increased blood pressure, weight loss, ioss of nervousness, appetite, insomnia and psychosis. The DEA also points out that abusers'can become psychologically dependent on the drug. drug-relate- d cent said they had been using the drug for psychic ' effects or recreation. Brooke Molina, assistant professor of psychiatsy at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, warned against giving too much weight to such anecdotal reports. "There is no data to tell us that there is rampant On the Net: Enforcement Drug' Administration: www.usdoj.govdea National Drug n Institute on m. Abuse: " ; ' my m- mzum www.nida.nih.gov Window Treatments SAL. with U iv . w Vt ..ki, J&V (KX31 WttiailgHA hur, vd$ Of Uiors Choices , . ttananywheredse ; v. Dickey. The FBI said the fraud worked like this: Beginning in 996, Stack and an MGM employee recruited MGM workers to have breast implants, liposuction and tummy tucks at the Moreno Valley. Ambulatory Surgical Center in Moreno Valley, .':'.. .Calif, The FBI said the scam continued until 1998, when oil her the MGM or Mutual of Omaha began questioning some of the insurance claims. $9.99 1 ':;' 4, M-mh- ' -- $13.99;;' F&SUE) Wannarn'r Warcome with t''i 0. ,..;i .11 r You've tried Paint. Now try C . 2" WoodBI Unto 80 ' OX Si: ends May 31, 20. . V wallcoverings! They're attractive, durable and fun and remarkably easy to apply! ' You Haven't .1 SHOPPED , TJnfirYbu-T-vr- vl 'T--- i JV' v at t- r" - r?s. Tf A i :5Three-bande- a sandfc and coooal'-- : (7' Whole K sizes WOMT In denim on nn " x . . w- ' ? f; j J, l-':5- - V" " '&T ft V J .,1 zm 'lingback'iijv - V'-'- . In cocoa. Women sizes sizes 1 3M, 95.00. 9-- tJ'l'f N. ... V ? - t'" .V.rfr;, vi i -.- 1 v tt0VI'- - Join the Dillard's team! ., : - .. " .' in taupe. Women's . feli Wmft lh 13WS3 f:JiHaftis,com ' Wf0 whole' A&fe' 10-- 9 and Sunday 12-- at all Olllwr location. Shop Monday-Saturda- y In Provo: Provo Town Cfrtr. In Salt Laka City: Fashion Placa and South Town Cfrtf. In Ogdn: Htwpata Mafl. We wetcome your Dillanf s Cfedit Card, The Amefican Cxpfess Card, Diners Club Internationa), MastercanT, visa and the Discover Card. Tk |
