Former Downtown Drug employee receives deferred judgment for stealing drugs
The former pharmacy employee was accused of stealing 18,000 hydrocodone pills
A former Downtown Drug employee who stole 18,000 hydrocodone pills over two years, which led to the pharmacy’s owner losing his license, received a deferred judgment and probation Thursday in Linn County District Court.
Charles A. Long, 48, of Cedar Rapids, made an Alford plea to second-degree theft. He is accused of unlawfully obtaining hydrocodone, a controlled substance, by fraud or deceit while an employee at Downtown Drug in Cedar Rapids.
Sixth Judicial District Senior Judge Thomas Koehler gave Long a deferred judgment with three years’ probation, which was part of the plea agreement. Long also must pay restitution to Downtown Drug owner Chris Tuetken. The amount hasn’t been determined at this time.
According to an Iowa Board of Pharmacy order filed last year, Tuetken discovered Long was ordering large amounts of hydrocodone from a wholesaler, but the orders never were entered into the pharmacy’s inventory. Long had access to the system, but ordering controlled substances wasn’t part of his duties.
The unauthorized hydrocodone orders were found when invoices were reconciled for the pharmacy, according to the order filed by the pharmacy board. Numerous orders for 500-count bottles of hydrocodone tablets this year and last were larger than the pharmacy typically would order given its volume of business.
The board ordered Tuetken to sell his drugstores as a result of controlled substances being diverted without his knowledge. Tuetken’s license was suspended for a year, and he will be required to pay a $10,000 civil penalty, according to the order.
Filed under: General Problems
So by the same token I assume CVS will be forced to sell the rest of their pharmacies due to the embezzlement of pain meds from its 4 California stores? I guess they were ‘spread to thin’ as well.
Google Brad Porton, convicted and sentenced to life in prison. This case included a Broken Bow Oklahoma Pharmacy where Porton worked as a tech. He used the stolen drugs to assist in the molestation, ongoing for years, of boys and young men who were supposed to be receiving counseling from the 27 year old at at treatment facility where he also worked. I think the case above is extreme and why is the Broken Bow Pharmacist still doing business as usual? At least 1of the victims committed suicide and another victim’s mother died due to attempts to sleep just prior to trial and never woke up. Where is the BOP on this one?
Unbelievable!