UNDERWOOD, Iowa (AP) - A couple in western Iowa who work for a school district stole prescription pads to fraudulently obtain pain medication from pharmacies in the state as well as in Nebraska, according to a criminal complaint.
Heath and Samantha Telleen, both employees of the Underwood Community School District, surrendered themselves to authorities on Friday, the Daily Nonpareil reported (https://bit.ly/1cq7INi ). They have since been released on their own recognizance.
The two used prescription pads taken from Underwood Family Practice, according to a criminal complaint. Authorities say false prescriptions were obtained from three pharmacy operations in Council Bluffs. Similar incidents allegedly occurred in Nebraska.
The couple were linked to the crimes after they used their driver’s licenses to receive the prescription drugs, according to investigators.
Samantha Telleen was given a key to the practice in June 2012 to check mail and faxes while an employee was out of town, according to Jacqueline Sullivan-Ogg, the employee.
Sullivan-Ogg said she identified fraudulent prescriptions because of inconsistencies with how they were written, according to the criminal complaint. The signatures were not consistent and doses were written differently.
The couple surrendered after a warrant was issued for their arrests. They both face two counts of felony prohibited acts involving a controlled substance. They didn’t immediately return a call Monday from The Associated Press, nor did their attorney.
“At this point in time, we can make no comment on this matter,” said Bill Hughes, the school district’s attorney.
A court date in the case is pending. School district records say Samantha works at the middle school and that her husband is a social studies teacher at the high school.
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Information from: The Daily Nonpareil, https://www.nonpareilonline.com
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