Authorities have threemen in custody on prescription drug charges, according to Sheriff Shep Jones.

Billy Dean Locklear, 42, of 306C Sixth Street in Pembroke, is charged with obtaining prescriptions by fraud. He is in Scotland County jail under a $1,000 bond.

Lonnie Gene Bell, 45, of 520 Warren Avenue in Laurel Hill, is charged with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. He is in Scotland County jail under a $5,000 bond.

Jonathan Bryant Bass, 35, of 10660 Patterson Street in Maxton, is charged with maintaining a schedule VI controlled substance. He is in Scotland County jail under a $5,000 secured bond.

Jones said the three mainly dealt with prescription pain killers Percocet and Lorpain pills, which he described as "hot commodities on the street."

Single pills can sometimes garner between $4-$8, depending on the strength and demand on the street.

"This have been [the result] of an eight-month operation," Jones said. "We're looking for eight other individuals in reference to similar charges."

He declined to release the names of those individuals.

Jones said the arrests came from hard work and cooperation between his department and a task force of local doctors and pharmacies that help catch fraud.

Jones said those charged had a simple scheme to get illicit prescription drugs. They would go to one doctor for an ailment and get a prescription. Then they would go to a second doctor for the same ailment and get a second prescription, neglecting to tell the second doctor about the previous visit.

Jones said this was profitable because the over-the-counter price of drugs is much less than the street value.