A pharmacy technician employed at a pharmacy in Jefferson County, Mississippi, used that position to fraudulently acquire large numbers of prescription hydrocodone pills from the pharmacy's inventory, according to court documents and facts admitted in open court.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration together with the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. The press release does not describe what first prompted the investigation or how the missing pills were identified.
The technician pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Mississippi to fraudulently obtaining possession of a controlled substance. The charge carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison, and sentencing was scheduled for April 30, 2024, with the sentence to be determined by a federal district judge after considering the sentencing guidelines and statutory factors.