Former Walgreens technician stole $16K worth of medication, police say
September 13, 2019
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) — The Tallahassee Police Department said it arrested a former Walgreens technician, who stole more than $16,000 worth of medications from the pharmacy over a period of a year, on Wednesday.
According to a probable cause statement filed October 15, 2018, the manager of the Walgreens on 2913 Mahan Drive told police on August 25, 2018, that Anna Silva had been stealing from the store since March 2017.
Silva was hired as a pharmacy technician on March 3, 2017, the affidavit said. Walgreens' loss prevention was consulted, and its internal investigation showed discrepancies in inventory happened on days when Silva was working in the pharmacy.
Walgreens focused its investigation on Silva and installed more security cameras in the pharmacy area. Although more cameras were added, only one day's worth of thefts were recorded, the affidavit said.
The investigation showed Silva used three different ways to steal the pills. First, while conducting inventory, she would take medication to a hidden location and put several pills in her pockets. Second, while she filled customers' prescriptions, she would keep a number of pills for herself and adjust the inventory later. Finally, she would steal medication directly from shipments as they arrived.
Walgreens' loss prevention internal investigator confronted Silva on August 285, 2018, and accused her of stealing a large amount of medication from the pharmacy. Silva confessed and said she was stealing the medications because of her personal health issues, her poor financial situation and the need to medicate.
She also provided a written confession; however, her full confession with the internal investigator wasn't recorded on video or audio and a law enforcement officer wasn't there. the affidavit said.
Based on the list of types of medications and amounts from Silva's handwritten confession, she stole $16,122.12 worth of medicine from Walgreens between March 2017 and August 2018.
On September 6, 2018, police interviewed a witness, who was one of Silva's co-workers, told police they saw her hide pills in her pockets on August 22, 2018.
Police reviewed surveillance camera footage from that day, and although they didn't see Silva put the pills in her pockets, the footage confirmed what the witness told them. The witness said during an inventory count, Silva would walk to an area between shelving to put the pills in her pockets. The video showed Silva going to the area the witness described.
According to the affidavit, Police contacted Silva on the phone multiple times during the investigation, but she failed to come to the department for an interview like she agreed to. She told police she had a medical emergency. She was told to call back with a day she could be interviewed, but she never called back.
The department said Silva was arrested after it got a tip that she was staying at the Suburban Extended Stay Hotel.
She was arrested on a grand theft of controlled substance charge and taken to Leon County Jail.
