NH dispatcher arrested over morphine theft

Sara Macomber is accused of selling on the drugs

June 06, 2010 10:20 AM

By Kimberley Houghton
The Union Leader (Manchester, NH)

MERRIMACK, N.H. — An ambulance dispatcher has been arrested for allegedly stealing morphine and selling it on the streets in Manchester after her shift.

Sara Macomber, 31, of 8 Winter St., apt. 1 in Tilton, has been charged with theft and felony possession of narcotics. Macomber was an employee for CarePlus Ambulance Service Inc. in Merrimack at the time of the theft May 16.

Police allege Macomber forced open a medicine cabinet and stole about 28 milligrams of morphine from the locked box during her shift. Then, Macomber is accused of selling the drugs in Manchester that afternoon for a street value of $200, according to police.

Eric Damon, president of CarePlus, said yesterday that Macomber is no longer working for the company. A supervisor noticed the drugs were missing and reported it promptly, according to Damon.

“Because of our checks and balances with the medications, we realized the drugs were missing and we investigated it immediately,” he said. “This was definitely an isolated issue.”

Macomber was released on $10,000 personal recognizance bail, and will appear in Merrimack District Court on Monday for arraignment.

Damon stressed the public should not be worried about the services provided by CarePlus, stressing again that Macomber’s arrest was an isolated incident.

CarePlus has been providing medical transportation services to health care facilities in the state for about 15 years, according to the company’s website. It is housed in Merrimack at 4 Center St., and the company has several other satellite locations in Manchester, Nashua, Concord, Lebanon and on the seacoast.

CarePlus is often dispatched when area fire departments need overflow assistance. Last year, CarePlus acquired North Conway Ambulance and Valley Transfer.

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