He stole morphine, authorities in Wilkes say
By MONTE MITCHELL
NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — A Wilkes County paramedic has been arrested on charges related to stealing morphine and other drugs from his job with the Wilkes County Emergency Medical Service and his volunteer service with the Wilkes Rescue Squad.
Joseph Wilson Earp Jr., 40, was arrested Thursday night at his home in Boomer.
Authorities say he sometimes took the unused portion from a morphine vial for personal use. They also believe that he sometimes popped the top of a morphine vial, drew morphine out with a syringe, injected a substance back into the vial to cover up the theft and then glued back the tamper-proof cap. Those suspect vials are being sent to the state lab for analysis.