Jeb Bush’s daughter charged with prescription fraud

By Brendan Farrington

Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Jeb Bush’s daughter was charged with prescription fraud today after she was arrested at a pharmacy drive-thru window while allegedly trying to buy the sedative Xanax.

Jeb Bush and his wife, Columba, issued a statement saying they were “deeply saddened” by the incident involving their only daughter, 24-year-old Noelle.

“This is a very serious problem,” they said. “Unfortunately, substance abuse is an issue confronting many families across our nation.”

Bush asked the public and the media to “respect our family’s privacy during this difficult time so that we can help our daughter.”

“We will have no further comment on this issue,” Bush said.

A Walgreens pharmacist called police while Noelle Bush was waiting in her white Volkswagen in the drive-thru lane this morning, according to a Tallahassee Police report.

Monday night, a woman claiming to be a doctor called in a prescription for Xanax for Noelle Bush, police said.

The police report said a colleague of the doctor, Dr. Noel Scidmore, said he was no longer practicing in Tallahassee and the phoned-in prescription should be treated as fraudulent.

Pharmacist Carlos Zimmerman said Noelle Bush called the pharmacy to ask about the prescription and was told it couldn’t be filled because no quantity was given, according to police. Someone claiming to be Scidmore called back and gave a quantity. When Noelle Bush called back she was told the prescription would be ready in about 40 minutes, according to the report.

Police were called when she arrived for the prescription.

Noelle Bush later admitted to police that the contact number for Scidmore that was left on the pharmacy answering machine was her second home phone line, investigators said.

Xanax, a sedative similar to Valium, is typically prescribed for anxiety or sleep problems.

Noelle Bush graduated from Tallahassee Community College in 2000 and attended Florida State University during the 2000-2001 academic year but is not currently enrolled, the university registrar’s office said.

Her mother has worked on behalf of Informed Families of Florida, a nonprofit group involved in educating families about drug abuse.

Jeb and Columba Bush had said previously that one of their three children struggled with a drug problem following Bush’s unsuccessful first run for governor in 1994. They did not say whether it was Noelle or one of her brothers.

President Bush’s twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara, have been charged with underage drinking. Last May, Jenna was charged with using someone else’s identification to try to buy a margarita at a restaurant, and Barbara was charged with underage drinking.

The charges were dropped after the twins performed community service, attended alcohol awareness classes and paid $100 fines. A separate underage drinking charge in April against Jenna Bush went on her record as a conviction because of the restaurant violation. A judge fined her $500 and suspended her license.