Va. firefighter pleads guilty in EMS drug theft
By Mike Gangloff
The Roanoke Times
TROUTVILLE, Va. — A firefighter who worked with departments in Roanoke and Botetourt counties pleaded guilty Tuesday and Wednesday to charges tied to stealing morphine from emergency workers' supplies.
But Kevin Graham Sweet may be able to greatly reduce the penalties he faces, judges in Botetourt and Roanoke county circuit courts decided.
In Botetourt, where he was a member of the Troutville Volunteer Fire Department, Sweet pleaded guilty Tuesday to three counts of embezzling drugs, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Jill Deegan said.
Sweet had no prior offenses and was placed on probation for three years and ordered to undergo drug treatment. If he avoids further problems, his Botetourt convictions will be reduced to misdemeanors at the end of his probation.
In Roanoke County, where he was a paid member of the county department, Sweet pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of obtaining drugs by fraud, Commonwealth's Attorney Randy Leach said. Both charges were referred to the county's drug court program, which Leach described as "intensive, indefinite probation."
If Sweet succeeds in the drug court program, charges against him will be dismissed. Leach said Sweet had been prescribed heavy doses of pain medicine after a back injury. When a pain management doctor attempted to wean him from the medicine, Sweet turned to "doctor shopping" to get more painkillers, and took morphine from emergency crews' supplies in both counties, Leach and Deegan said.
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