Pharmacist pleads guilty to drug thefts

By Linda Cicoira

     For several years, a Nassawadox pharmacist stole prescription painkillers from the drugstore where he worked while fixing the books to avoid getting caught so he could continue to feed the drug habit he acquired after taking the pills for an ankle injury long before that.

      Forty-one-year-old Kyle Matthew Webb, of Franktown, pleaded guilty Monday in Northampton Circuit Court to embezzling from Rayfield’s Pharmacy and to illegally possessing hydrocodone/acetaminophen. 

      An indictment that accused Webb of prescription fraud was not prosecuted as part of a plea agreement with Commonwealth’s Attorney Jack Thornton. Judge Lynwood W. Lewis accepted the deal and ordered a short-form presentence report.

     Thornton said pharmacies must keep track of certain drugs. A Drug Enforcement Administration audit found duplicate prescriptions. It was determined that 2,000 pills from two years of inventory were missing. When Webb was questioned about the losses, he admitted to diverting the pills and taking them while he was on duty. This occurred for about seven years, the defendant told authorities.

    “He ingested every pill,” Thornton said. “He did not sell them. He never shorted” any customer. Thornton said Webb’s addiction did not adversely affect his “top-notch” job performance. 

     The prosecutor speculated the stolen drugs cost more than $8,000. The exact amount would be determined later at another proceeding. For a felony conviction, the total must be more than $1,000. Thornton said the pharmacy owner also had to pay for increased security measures.

    The plea bargain allowed Webb to be treated as a first-offender for the possession charge. So, if he remains on good behavior for a year and does 100 hours of community service, the charge will be stricken from his record. 

    The agreement also called for Webb to be given a five-year suspended sentence and another 100 hours of community service for embezzlement. It called for two years of supervised probation, 10 years of good behavior, and substance abuse treatment. Webb also agreed to speak to groups about the dangers of taking painkillers. 

     “The worst crime is that he embezzled against the employer,” said Thornton.