Press release on May 22 from Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood:
A woman alleged to be stealing identities and forging prescriptions has been arrested following a seven month investigation, announced Attorney General Jim Hood today.
Sylvia Cook, 59, whose last known residence is in Jackson, was arrested Wednesday in rural Rankin County. Cook is wanted by Mississippi and Louisiana authorities for multiple counts of Identity Theft and Prescription Forgery.
Cook is accused of fraudulently using others’ identity and using fictitious ID’s to visit multiple care providers across the state, while claiming illnesses to obtain pain prescriptions and then selling the medication. Her arrest is the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Shreveport, Louisiana Police Department, Clinton, Mississippi Police Department, The United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Division.
Cook faces 30 years imprisonment and fines up to $60,000 if convicted of the current charges against her. She was booked into the Rankin County Detention Center and is awaiting her initial appearance.
As with all cases, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by Miller Faulk and Bo Luckey and will be prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Patrick Beasley of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.