Police report they charged a Milford woman on 38 criminal counts following their investigation into illicit drug activity that allegedly occurred in June and July at a local dentist's office. After receiving a complaint from a dentist on August 6, police investigated the allegations that the dentist made against an ex-employee who had briefly worked at the dental practice, police said.

After receiving a warrant from state Superior Court in Danbury, police on November 29 traveled to Milford and arrested Jessica Cash, 29, charging her with 19 counts of illegally obtaining prescription drugs through fraud and 19 counts of first-degree identity theft.

Police said Cash had been employed as an assistant to the dentist and had been using the dentist's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) identification number to call pharmacies to obtain fraudulent prescriptions for herself, but which were fraudulently listed in other people's names. The prescriptions were written for various pain killers, according to police.

Police booked Cash on 38 counts and held her on $20,000 bail for a November 30 arraignment at state Superior Court in Danbury. She pleaded not guilty to all 38 charges. She was being held on $20,000 bail on December 1 at York Correctional Institution, Niantic, for a December 7 court appearance.