(Stillwater, Okla.) – A 31-year-old Cushing woman has been charged with stealing students’ ADHD medication from the Cushing Upper Elementary School while she was working as a custodian there in November of 2018.
Evelyn Denise Roberts, who was arraigned this week on the felony charge, remains free on $2,500 bond pending a Feb. 4 court appearance with defense attorney Cheryl Ramsey at which she can seek a preliminary hearing.
If convicted of larceny of a controlled drug, Roberts could be given as much as a 10-year prison term and a $10,000 fine, court records show.
Cushing Police Officer Garvis Thomas was sent at 2:01 p.m. on Oct. 30, 2018, to the Upper Elementary School, according to his affidavit filed last week.
Vice-Principal Casie Brannon “advised it was brought to her attention by some of her staff members that their students’ medicine was missing,” the affidavit said.
“Brannon advised they did a quick count and realized six different students did not have the amount of pills they should have had. Brannon explained the medicine missing was Methylphenidate,” prescribed for ADHD, the affidavit said.
“Brannon explained they have a suspicion that the custodian, Evelyn Roberts, is the one who stole the medicine,” since “she goes back there and cleans the room randomly,” the affidavit alleged.
“I asked if the school had cameras that show who pulls the medicine out. Brannon explained the only cameras show who goes into the room, not what occurs inside the room. Brannon informed me they noticed some pills were missing last week,” the Cushing officer wrote in his affidavit.
“On Nov. 29, 2018, I was informed by Sgt. Carson Watts that he was called to the Upper Elementary in regards to the missing medication,” the Cushing officer wrote in his affidavit.
The Cushing police sergeant “was informed by Supt. Koln Knight that they had video surveillance of Evelyn Roberts stealing the medication,” the affidavit alleged.
“On the video I saw a female, whom I identified as Roberts, looking through the cabinet. Roberts opens several pill containers and looked inside them and/or pours out the pills into her hand and examines the pills. Roberts looked through the cabinet at several of the containers, until she notices the security camera inside the cabinet; then she closes and locks the cabinet door,” the Cushing officer alleged in his affidavit.
“Sgt. Watts advised he made contact with Roberts and spoke with her regarding the missing medication,” the affidavit alleged.
Sgt. Watts said that after he advised Roberts of her rights, she agreed to speak with him, the affidavit alleged.
“Sgt. Watts advised he asked Roberts if she took the medicine and Roberts stated, ‘Yes, I did.’ Roberts also said she would take two pills at a time, two-three times per week. Evelyn began to apologize and said, ‘I never intended to take it this far,’” the affidavit alleged.
In a written statement, Roberts confessed to stealing the medication, the affidavit alleged.
“The amount of pills missing is approximately 100,” the affidavit alleged.
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