David Thomas

dgthomas@jacksonsun.com

The defense attorney who represents a former Madison County sheriff's deputy charged with prescription drug fraud said his client does not have an addiction to prescription medications.

John "Jerry" Elston, a retired Madison County Sheriff's Office lieutenant, faces a 52-count indictment on charges of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. Elston will plead not guilty when he is arraigned in Madison County Circuit Court Division II on Monday, said his attorney, Mark Donahoe.

"The defense would like to ask everyone to wait and hear both sides of the case … not making a guess of what went on," Donahoe said. "There are two sides to every story."

According to the indictment, Elston is accused of illegally obtaining the prescription pain medications Hydrocodone, codeine and Trezix in dozens of instances between January and June of this year. All three medications are Schedule III controlled substances, according to state law.

The indictment alleges in some cases that Elston acquired drugs from pharmacies "by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception or subterfuge."

In other cases, the indictment alleges that Elston obtained the medications by prescription from doctors while knowingly failing to disclose that he had received the same or similar drug or a prescription for such a drug from another practitioner within the previous 30 days.

Elston declined to comment on the charges, referring all questions to Donahoe.

District Attorney General Jerry Woodall declined to discuss what led to the investigation.

"The indictment speaks for itself," Woodall said. "Nothing else would be appropriate."

Jackson-Madison County Metro Narcotics investigated the case for several months, officials have said.

A Madison County grand jury indicted Elston on Monday. He turned himself in at the Madison County Criminal Justice Complex on Tuesday and was released on $2,500 bond.

Elston, who began working for the Sheriff's Office full time in 1995, turned in his retirement paperwork in August of this year.

Reach David Thomas at (731) 425-9637