Suspect in narcotics tampering resigned early in investigation

CLOVIS — Almost 200 containers of narcotics intended for use on Clovis ambulances may have been tampered with last month, according to court records filed Friday.

Records show a suspect in the tampering resigned after the investigation began.

Investigation of the former firefighter reveals he “was arrested and convicted in 2011 of attempt to commit fraudulent prescriptions,” the record shows.

Attempts by The News to reach the former firefighter were not immediately successful on Tuesday.

The newspaper does not name criminal suspects who have not been charged with a crime.

Officials from Clovis Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Clovis Fire Department met with Clovis Police Sgt. Louis Riddle on April 18 and detailed their concerns as to possible tampering with various containers of the narcotic drugs Fentanyl, Morphine, Midazolam and Diazepam.

At that time, Riddle was made aware of indications that the vials and syringes containing the substances had been modified.

The appearance of the modified containers suggested “that someone had opened or broken the tamper proof seal for whatever reason and had glued it back to appear unbroken,” Riddle wrote in a May 3 affidavit for the search warrant.

District Attorney Andrea Reeb on Tuesday said no arrests had been made in connection with the investigation.

Police Capt. Roman Romero said the investigation was ongoing and he had “no information to share.”

On April 19, Riddle identified “a total of 185 confirmed tampered items” across 16 containers at Station 1 of the fire department.

City police commenced an investigation in mid-April after two city firefighters administered drugs to a patient during an emergency medical call and observed effects in the patient that were inconsistent with common reactions to the medication, the court record show.

Then-City Manager Larry Fry said last month that no one was hurt in connection with the alleged tampering.

Clovis Fire Chief Michael Nolen told the newspaper Tuesday that the employee successfully cleared a standard, mandated background check when being hired at the fire department.

More information from the court record:

• Riddle said Nolen conducted an internal investigation concerning the tampering and discovered that one of his firefighters had purchased a bottle of super glue with petty cash and was discovered to have a bottle of super glue in his desk. Nolen photographed the bottle but it had “disappeared” before the investigating police officer could retrieve it.

“Chief Nolen told me this was odd, as he had no use for super glue at the station,” Riddle said.

• The employee who had purchased the super glue started as a 40-hour employee in February and had recently been denied employment at the domestic air ambulance service Aerocare after that company attempted to check his background.

EMS Director Karen Burns told Riddle that the employee had spoken to her about his inability to work at Aerocare.

Burns told Riddle that the employee had told her, “It was because of my time overseas and I can’t talk about it, it’s like they wiped me off the face of the earth ... (Aerocare) said they can’t clear my background and I can’t work with them ever,” according to the affidavit.

• Riddle wrote that Burns told him she initially considered addiction as the cause of the medication tampering, but later suspected trafficking after discovering the volume of drugs that had been contacted.

• Burns also told Riddle that the former employee had frequently attempted to borrow her badge to gain access to the vending machine containing many of the EMS’ controlled substances. Burns declined to comment Tuesday on the police investigation.