Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Wednesday that a Monroe County woman is facing a slew of charges after allegedly obtaining nearly 8,300 oxycodone pills over several years by falsely claiming she had terminal cancer.
Brandi Leigh Bachman, 40, was arrested this week and charged with 21 felony counts of acquisition of a controlled substance by fraud. She also faces charges of identity theft and criminal use of a communication facility. Her bail was set at $25,000, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 14.
According to the Office of Attorney General, Bachman deceived at least 19 healthcare providers across Monroe, Lehigh, and Carbon counties between 2021 and 2024, telling them she had malignant melanoma that had spread to her lungs. Investigators say she sometimes backed up her story with forged documents and used the identities of three physicians to support her claims.
"Fraudulently obtaining thousands of opioid prescription pills in this manner is offensive to those living with a legitimate diagnosis,” Attorney General Sunday said in a statement. “This conduct also endangers our communities by increasing the supply of these drugs available for off-label use. This criminal scheme allowed the defendant to access opioids for years, deceiving providers who believed they were treating legitimate pain from a terminal illness.”
Healthcare professionals interviewed during the investigation reported that Bachman often resisted further testing or treatment, claiming she was not seeking to extend her life, only to manage her pain in her final days.
When providers requested documentation of her diagnosis, she sometimes failed to provide it, citing difficulties in accessing records. In several cases, she submitted paperwork that was later determined to be fraudulent, with the providers listed denying ever issuing the documents.
Investigators say her scheme resulted in the unlawful acquisition of 8,298 oxycodone pills over the course of three years.