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EYEWITNESS LOCAL NEWS
DRUG TAMPERINGfrom Eyewitness News Online EMS Employee Charged With Tampering, Stealing Drugs Off Ambulances Reported by:  Kallie CartVideographer: Larry Clark Web Producer: Kallie Cart Reported: Dec. 20, 2011 6:10 PM EST Updated: Jan. 2, 2012 9:50 AM EST
Spencer
, Roane County
, West Virginia
An EMS employee has been arrested for allegedly stealing and tampering with drugs on ambulances, in two counties. State police have arrested Steven Mullins. He's charged with several drug related felonies and will face about 75 total charges when the investigation is complete. Trooper Portillo in Spencer tells Eyewitness News, that Mullins was an EMT Intermediate working in both Roane and Calhoun Counties. Police started investigating after the ambulance authority in Roane County noticed 29 vials of morphine and fentanyl had been tampered with, the drugs were removed and replaced with saline. It had happened on five of the county's six ambulances. Police say Mullins also admitted to stealing drugs off of two ambulances in Calhoun County, where he also worked but recently quit. ------------------------- ORIGINAL STORY: December 20, 2011 Medicine that's on ambulances for emergencies has been taken advantage of and tampered with in Roane County. State police say dozens of vials of drugs have been replaced with saline. "Right now its a preliminary thing, we're not really sure what we're dealing with, but we know someone, likely an employee that has access to those, has tampered with those vials," Sgt. F.L. Hammack says. And it's an extensive problem, five of Roane County's six ambulances were found with tampered medicine. In all, 29 vials of morphine and fentanyl were compromised. The drugs were removed and replaced with saline. "The only real purpose is to abuse the drug or sell it," Sgt. Hammack says. Police say the tampered medicine was discovered Monday and they say it's something that's happened before. "It is something we take very seriously," the ambulance service director Danny Cronin says. "We have an internal investigation going on at this time." Police believe the drugs are being taken for abuse, but ultimately the tampered medicine puts the public at risk, those needing emergency drugs, instead getting saline. "That's the issue, they think they're giving them something for pain and its not working and it may force the ER doctor or the paramedic to assess the situation worse than it is," Sgt. Hammack says. Trooper J.T. Portillo is handling the case. The vials have been handed over to the state police forensic lab for further examination. MORE NEWS FROM EYEWITNESS NEWS
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