(EDITOR’S NOTE: Staff Writer Deb Patterson contributed to this article.)

A former nurse and her now ex-boyfriend who admitted to felony charges of forgery and prescription fraud were both to be sentenced separately in Kosciusko County Circuit Court today.

Instead, only Jakayla Snodgrass, 23, of Leesburg, was sentenced.

Snodgrass worked as a registered nurse at Provident Family Health Care when she was charged with falsifying a prescription and trying to get it filled at CVS Pharmacy in Warsaw on June 28.

Also charged was Thomas Calhoun, 28, of South Bend.

Warsaw Police say Snodgrass and Calhoun tried to get CVS pharmacists to fill a prescription in Snodgrass’s name for Roxicodone, a generic derivative of Oxycodone. The prescription, according to police, was fraudulent and written without authorization from the office of Dr. David Darr.

Investigators say Calhoun left the pharmacy when pharmacists were scrutinizing the prescription.

He was located on July 22 in South Bend and arrested. He was transported to the Kosciusko County Jail, charged, and held on $25,000 bond. On July 12, Calhoun was first arrested in South Bend on separate charges of trying to pass a fraudulent prescription.

Snodgrass was arrested five days later. She was also held on a $25,000 bond.

As the investigation continued, police found that numerous similar prescriptions had been passed for narcotic painkillers in several different names, including Snodgrass and Calhoun, in the South Bend area over a nine month period.

Snodgrass is alleged to have filled out other fraudulent prescriptions for other individuals.

Snodgrass’s plea agreement was accepted by Circuit Court Judge Rex Reed today which dismissed the forgery charge. Before suspending her 1½-year sentence to the Indiana Department of Corrections, Reed read the pre-sentence report and the numerous letters of support on her behalf.

He stated while the letters were written by well meaning individuals who had affection for Snodgrass, they were not in complete knowledge of information made available to the court. He also had some concerns.

One concern was her failure in a trusted and important job and not living up to the expectations of her employer. The second concern Reed had concerned a comment normally given to young men appearing in his court.

“I would say, ‘Young man, there’s a real possibility your brain hasn’t completely developed and you need to get a full set of brains … to be more discerning about your relationships. It was bad from the get go. I’ve read his presentence report. A person of your caliber should not be associating with him, it goes with get those full set of brains,” Reed said to Snodgrass.

Reed strongly stressed to Snodgrass the need to follow the rules of probation noting he did not want her to have any reason to return to the court if she violated any of those rules and it was proven. “You will not pass go. You will not be paid the $200, you will go directly to jail,” he said.

Jack Birch, Snodgrass’s attorney who submitted additional letters of support for his client, told the court that his client was an outstanding citizen, was well educated, provides great leadership skills and has the support of her family. He also noted she was aware she allowed herself to get into the situation and became aware of the problem he had, being pulled into it and put in the middle, participating in an action that was detrimental to her, her employer and her family.

He added she acknowledged her error and understands she has to deal with the consequences, pay the price and move forward. She will be getting married and having a family and in the process trying to determine a new career that goes with her ability to help people.