CULLOWHEE, N.C. — A Cullowhee woman is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly filling prescriptions under her deceased mother’s name to obtain opioid painkillers.
Amanda Marie Olsen, 32, was arrested on October 1 and charged with two felony counts each of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or forgery and trafficking opium or heroin, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Court warrants indicate that Olsen went to Mark’s Pharmacy on August 4 and August 11 to fill prescriptions for Anna Marie Olsen, her late mother, who had died on August 2, 2025. On both visits, she allegedly obtained 42 tablets of 10 mg hydrocodone HCL.
The scheme was discovered in September, when the prescribing doctor’s office noticed irregularities and alerted authorities, said Chief Deputy Patrick McCoy.
Investigators are still determining whether Olsen intended to sell the pills or use them herself.
Olsen faces serious penalties if convicted. Under North Carolina law, trafficking opium or heroin in amounts between 4 and 14 grams is a Class F felony, carrying a potential sentence of 70 to 93 months in prison and a minimum $50,000 fine. The obtaining by fraud charge is a Class I felony, punishable by up to 24 months in prison.
Olsen is being held at the Jackson County Detention Center on a $200,000 secured bond.
