PROVIDENCE — A Providence woman has admitted to a drug distribution and health-care fraud operation in which she sold forged oxycodone and hydrocodone prescriptions or traded them for crack cocaine.

Carol M. DiPina, 55, pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to forging prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone on stolen prescription forms and having other people fill the prescriptions at pharmacies, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente’s office. They got the prescriptions at little or no cost because health insurers, including Medicaid, reimbursed the pharmacies.

Prosecutor Adi Goldstein said at the plea hearing the government could show DiPina got pads of blank prescription forms from Rhode Island Hospital then forged prescriptions for various drugs, including OxyContin, Percocet, Roxicet and Vicodin.

The prosecution at the plea hearing said evidence showed DiPina obtained the Rhode Island Hospital pads through other individuals. She sometimes drove conspirators to the hospital so they could steal the forms, the prosecution contended, according to Tom Connell, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office.

DiPina had no connection to Rhode Island Hospital, the U.S. Attorney’s office said. It was not clear whether conspirators had a direct connection to the hospital.

DiPina pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, distributing a controlled substance, conspiracy to commit health-care fraud and health-care fraud.

She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1-million fine for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and distributing a controlled substance; 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for health-care fraud; and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy to commit health-care fraud.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 5.

According to prosecutors, DiPina wrote prescriptions in the names of people who benefited from Rhode Island Medicaid, RiteCare, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, RiteCare or private or other private insurance.

She sometimes used her own maiden name, Carol Sheed. DiPina paid associates to have prescriptions filled at pharmacies. They gave her the medications, sometimes keeping some for themselves, and she either sold the rest or traded portions for crack cocaine.

A DiPina associate told investigators that DiPina would pay him between $50 and $90 for each OxyContin prescription that he filled, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

mmckinne@projo.com