News & Columns > G.T. Houts > Arraignment of Local Pharmacist Postponed Again (Update 3)

Arraignment of Local Pharmacist Postponed Again (Update 3)

Prosecution Has Not Filed Charges

By G.T. Houts
Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Update

San Bernardino - The arraignment of the owner of a Lake Arrowhead pharmacy has been delayed again because drug charges have still not been filed.

The San Bernardino County Superior Courthouse in San Bernardino was built in 1926. (Photo by Michael P. Neufeld.)

Judge Michael Dest, despite the fact no complaint has been filed, found good cause to continue Michelle Lynn Blain-Dresser's arraignment until February 22 at 8:30 a.m. in Department S-23B.

Judge Dest, who had admonished Blain Dresser to be on time for yesterday's scheduled hearing, noted the defendant had appeared in court on time. The Superior Court judge explained that exonerating her bail would be a financial hardship for the defendant to post a new bond and premium to prevent the defendant from being rearrested for the same conduct if criminal charges were to be filed.

Blain-Dresser was ordered to appear on the February 22 hearing date. Blain-Dresser is the owner of Lake Arrowhead Village Pharmacy

Update 2

San Bernardino, CA - The owner of a Lake Arrowhead pharmacy is expected to be arraigned today after her previous court appearance was halted because drug charges had not been filed.

Forty-eight-year-old Michelle Lynn Blain-Dresser was taken into custody October 15, at her Lake Arrowhead residence as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation.

Blain-Dresser is the owner of Lake Arrowhead Village Pharmacy and is due in court at 8:45 a.m. in Department S-23B.

At the last court hearing on December 17, Judge Michael Dest told defense attorney Greg Kassell that if his client is more than 30-seconds late tomorrow, January 4, the bail bond will be exonerated.

Bond amounts of $50,000 and $10,000 were posted on October 20, 2009.

Following her arrest, a media release from the Twin Peaks Sheriff's Station reported records found at the home revealed the pharmacy engaged in unlawful filling of controlled substance prescriptions via the Internet. The substance was identified as generic Soma and is described as a muscle relaxant.

Update

San Bernardino, CA - No charges have been filed against the owner of a Lake Arrowhead pharmacist causing the court to delay her arraignment until next year.

Michelle Lynn Blain-Dresser, 48, was arrested October 15, at her residence as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation. She is the owner of Lake Arrowhead Village Pharmacy.

Last week, Judge Michael Dest convened the scheduled arraignment, but the defendant was not present. No complaint had been filed at the time of the hearing. The arraignment was delayed at 8:31 a.m. on Thursday, December 17.

Then at 10:12 a.m., on the same day, Judge Dest called the court into session. Again, Blain-Dresser was not present.

Judge Dest continued the case for exoneration of bail and attorney Greg Kassell was advised that if the defendant is more than 30-seconds late on January 4, 2010, at 8:45 a.m., the bail bond will be exonerated.

Original Story

Lake Arrowhead, CA - The owner of a Lake Arrowhead pharmacy has been arrested as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

Narcotics Division Detective Sherry Eversole identified the suspect as Michelle Lynn Blain-Dresser, 48, owner and pharmacist of Lake Arrowhead Village Pharmacy.

"We received a tip from an informant that I have," Eversole told RIMOFTHEWORLD.net, "and through our investigation it led to the local pharmacist and her home address."

Last Thursday, October 15, state parole agents conducted a search of a residence in the 400 block of Cedar Ridge Lane in Lake Arrowhead, a media advisory from the Sheriff's Department stated. Agents were seeking Robert Christopher Flory, 42, for possible violation of parole.

A source close to the investigation explained that, during the search, over 55,000 pills were uncovered and seized from the location by Detective Eversole and Drug Enforcement Administration Pharmaceutical Division Investigator, Connie Carey.

The pills, identified in Sheriff's Department records as generic Soma, were found in four large trash bags containing pill bottles prescribed to several different people around the United States. Soma is described as a muscle relaxant and medical authorities caution Soma should never be given to another person, especially someone who has a history of drug abuse or addiction.

"Every single one of the bottles found in the bags," Detective Eversole explained, "had the label of Lake Arrowhead Village Pharmacy. The names on the bottles were for people residing in various states all over the United States.

"In addition, we located medical records for persons who did not live in the residence," Eversole added.

The media release from the Twin Peaks Sheriff's Station reported records found at the home revealed the pharmacy engaged in unlawful filling of controlled substance prescriptions via the Internet.

Central Detention Center (Photo by Michael P. Neufeld.)

Blain-Dresser was arrested at her residence and booked at the Central Detention Center in San Bernardino about 4 a.m. Friday, October 16 on a charge of possession for sales. She posted $60,000 bail and was released about 6 p.m. the same day.

Flory, who told investigators he was known as "The Happy Bandit" in Los Angeles County, was arrested for a parole violation. He previously served seven years in prison for committing a series of bank robberies. He remains in custody at the Central Detention Center.

The FBI Bank Robbery detail reports that Flory had been arrested on Saturday, August 13, 2005, for a series of bank robberies in the Los Angeles area. FBI records show he was taken into custody on that date by the Los Angeles Police Department's Special Investigations Section.

Media accounts of that arrest show he was in the company of the so-called "Big Belly Bandit," 51-year-old Stewart Essrig. The two reportedly robbed several banks in 2005, including the Manufacturer's Bank in Encino (July 15 and August 1), Bank of America in Beverly Hills (July 5), and Citibank in Hermosa Beach (July 1).

LAKE ARROWHEAD VILLAGE PHARMACY

Lake Arrowhead Village Pharmacy, located at 28200 Highway 189, Suite 03-170, opened for business in 2002.

Blain-Dresser, according to the firm's website, is a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy.

A headline on the site reads — Local. Global. We'll Reach You. — with the following statement: "Not on the mountain? We'll get your medicine to you no matter where your are, on time and intact."

The pharmacy remains open for business during the ongoing investigation.