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SPRINGBORO — A loud muffler and unfastened seat belts contributed to the downfall of a Columbus-area man accused of using 40 fake prescriptions to obtain thousands of painkillers in at least five Ohio counties.

Adam R. Wemmer, 29, of Grove City, remained in the Warren County Jail on Thursday, July 3, facing charges in Warren, Clark and Franklin counties, according to court records.

Wemmer and Tosha L. McCoy, 23, of Grove City, were stopped by a Springboro police officer on June 2 after they failed to signal while turning their vehicle on North Main Street in Springboro, according to police reports.

The reports said neither was wearing a seat belt.

Wemmer, already wanted in Clark County, took responsibility for a hypodermic needle in McCoy's purse, three fake prescriptions and three bottles containing oxycodone, better known as Percodan or Percoset, police said.

Springboro police charged him with three counts of possession of drug abuse instruments, and single counts of illegal processing of drug documents, and possession of criminal tools. On Monday, he was indicted for the same charges.

Wemmer, who was sentenced to probation on similar charges in 2006 in Franklin County, told police he'd been addicted to painkillers since a car crash about five years ago.

Authorities are apparently still searching for McCoy, who along with Wemmer, is facing similar charges, filed — after the Springboro traffic stop — in Franklin County. Her only other charge, a seat belt citation from the June 2 traffic stop, was paid on June 18, according to Springboro Mayor's Court records.

The statewide scheme, perpetuated by prescription forms made to look like those from several Columbus-area doctors, was pieced together by Dennis Luken, a detective for the Greater Warren County Task Force, according to John Burke, the task force's commander.

Luken determined the fake prescriptions were filled in Miamisburg, Xenia and Beavercreek, as well as Grove City, south of Columbus, Burke said.

Burke praised the Springboro officer.

"It was good police work to recognize what was going on," he said, explaining McCoy was probably let go for lack of an arrest warrant or evidence to file charges justifying her arrest.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2261

or lbudd@DaytonDailyNews.com.