A former medical professional, her daughter, stepdaughter and step-grandchild face Schuylkill County court on charges they fraudulently obtained 9,180 powerful prescription pills.

Virginia M. Vesay, 61, and her daughter, Jessie L. Vesay, 27, both of Minersville, waived their rights last week to preliminary hearings before District Judge David A. Plachko of Port Carbon.Two other women, Deborah A. Kramer, 49, also of Minersville, and Angela M. Kramer, 23, of Pottsville, also waived their hearings in the case.Virginia Vesay is charged with acquiring or obtaining possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery or deception; possession of a controlled substance, persons required to hold a medical license; identity theft and distribution of a controlled substance using a suspended or revoked Drug Enforcement Administration registration number.She remains free under $50,000 unsecured bail.Jessie Vesay is charged with acquiring or obtaining possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery or deception, conspiracy, and possession of a controlled substance.Deborah Kramer and Angela Kramer face the same charges. All three are free under $25,000 unsecured bail.The Vesays were slightly hurt Friday morning when a fire broke out at their home. The state police fire marshal is investigating the fire.According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by narcotics agent Brian Rimple of the state Office of the Attorney General, the women obtained more than 9,000 prescription pills between Sept. 5, 2014, and March 31, 2015, from drugstores in Minersville, St. Clair and Pottsville.The state was alerted to the fraud by a Minersville drugstore.Vesay, a former physician assistant whose license expired in 2004, purported to be working from a Maryland doctor's office when she called in or wrote prescriptions for the Kramers, Ronald Vesay and herself.Jessie Vesay and Angela Kramer picked up the pills.Investigators found Vesay had once worked for the office, but was not employed there when she ordered the prescriptions.The prescriptions included Vicodin and lorazepam.