A Dunedin man has admitted offering to sell much of the ritalin he obtained in large quantities by falsely claiming he was a fisherman due to spend three months at sea.
Ronald Skerret Topi (25) was prescribed 180 tablets of ritalin a month.
But on July 3 last year he was dispensed 42 tablets and another 360 tablets two days later, when he told the doctor he was due to leave that day to fish for tuna in the Southern Ocean.
Two weeks earlier, he had obtained a prescription for 180 tablets of ritalin, by falsely claiming he was a surveyor at Downers and was going to Queenstown to work.
Police inquiries, involving the analysis of text messages between June 29 and August 15 last year revealed Topi was heavily involved in offering to supply ritalin and was actively selling his prescribed medication to associates.
A summary of facts from Crown counsel Marie Grills said 582 tablets of ritalin equated to about 58 cards or sheets and would generate revenue of between $4656 and $5820.
Text messages also showed that on July 25 last year, the accused was offering to pre-sell his next prescription of ritalin.
Medical notes obtained by the police showed Topi had again visited his doctor on August 14 and obtained, by deception, another two months' prescription for 360 tablets.
The analysis of text messages for the same period also showed the accused was actively offering cannabis.
He was selling the class C drug in the form of $25 ''tinnies'', $50 and $100 bags, half ounces at $175 and ounces for between $300 and $350.
Topi was to have stood trial in the Invercargill District Court last week but pleaded guilty part-way through the hearing to charges of offering to sell ritalin and offering to supply cannabis.
He was remanded in custody for sentence in Dunedin on August 29.
