By Kimberly Houghton
The Union Leader
MERRIMACK, NH — An ambulance dispatcher who was arrested last week for allegedly stealing morphine and selling it on the streets had been indicted last year on a felony charge of manufacturing marijuana.
Sara Macomber, 31, of 8 Winter St., Apt. 1, Tilton, is charged with theft and felony possession of narcotics stemming from the May 16 incident. Macomber was an employee for CarePlus Ambulance Service Inc. in Merrimack when she allegedly stole about 28 milligrams of morphine from a locked medicine cabinet, according to police.
Later that day, she allegedly sold the drugs for $200 to an unidentified man in Manchester.
According to court documents, Macomber was indicted last August in a separate incident in which she was allegedly growing marijuana plants inside her apartment, authorities said. At the time, Macomber pleaded guilty to a reduced misdemeanor charge and was sentenced to 12 months of suspended jail time, pending good behavior.
She was ordered to complete drug treatment and counseling, according to court documents, along with a substance abuse assessment.
Macomber was arraigned yesterday in Merrimack District Court on the charges related to the stolen morphine.
She had been employed by CarePlus for about seven months when a supervisor at the company contacted authorities in May. The supervisor, Beverly Tufts, told police that the only person inside the building at the time of the theft was Macomber, according to court documents.
“Tufts also reported that she has seen Macomber in a variety of obvious mood swings of late, which she suspects may suggest that Macomber may have an issue with substance abuse,” says an affidavit filed by Detective Scott Park.
During the police investigation, Macomber arrived 45 minutes late for an initial interview and failed to appear at the police station for a second interview, authorities said. Then it took Macomber about 10 minutes to answer the door when police arrived to question her at her residence, according to the affidavit.
“She seemed very upset and stated she had sold the drugs,” Park said. “She told me that she has been financially strapped for quite some time and became desperate.”
According to court documents, Macomber told police she took several dispensers of morphine and regretted her actions.
Eric Damon, president of CarePlus, said last week that Macomber is no longer working for the company. Damon said the public should not be worried about the services provided by CarePlus, stressing Macomber’s arrest was an isolated incident.
CarePlus provides medical transportation services to health care agencies throughout the state. It is housed in Merrimack at 4 Center St. and has several other satellite locations.
Macomber will again appear in Merrimack District Court on June 24 for a status hearing.
Copyright 2010 Union Leader Corp.