WYTHEVILLE, Va. — A former paramedic captain is facing 31 counts of obtaining drugs by fraud, deceit and forgery.
SWVAToday.com reported that a grand jury handed down indictments against Dustin Hazlewood, 27, formerly with the Wythe County Rescue Squad, for obtaining fentanyl and morphine. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison on each charge.
Police Chief Rick Arnold said investigators believe that Hazlewood used the painkillers while working for WCRS and as a volunteer with Guardian Ambulance Service. An investigation began in November when a squad member reported that Hazelwood had become ill at the squad building and was transported to an ER for treatment.
Two employees reported that they had an “unusual encounter” with Hazlewood on Nov. 2 and that he “seemed to be acting in a delusional manner.” They later discovered a used syringe, tourniquet and a bottle of saline in the bathroom of the rescue squad building.
A search warrant was executed to request all medical records generated when he was given a drug test at the hospital. Hazlewood resigned from the squad that same month.
In 2010, Hazlewood was charged with possessing morphine, a felony. The charges were dismissed after he complied with a judge’s ruling to perform community service, take a class and lose his driver’s license for six months. He was on probation for one year, according to the report.
The Virginia Department of Health Professionals suspended his state license.