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Underwood School employees face stolen drug charges

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March 8th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Authorities in Pottawattamie County say two employees with the Underwood Community School District were arrested Friday on felony drug charges. The Daily NonPareil reports 34-year old’s Samantha and Heath Telleen, of Underwood, surrendered themselves to law enforcement after a warrant was issued for their arrests in connection with the alleged use of stolen prescription pads to obtain pain medication in Iowa and Nebraska.

Samantha is a Underwood Middle School worker, while her husband teaches Social Studies at the Underwood High School. The pair was charged with two counts of pharmacy prohibited acts, which are Class C felonies. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison and a maximum $20,000 fine.

In total, the couple allegedly used prescriptions pads from Underwood Family Practice 14 times, according to a criminal complaint released Friday. Additional incidents occurred in Nebraska. Jacqueline Sullivan-Ogg, who works at the practice, told investigators Samantha Telleen was given the key to the building in June 2013 to check mail and faxes while Sullivan-Ogg and her husband were out of town.

According to the criminal complaint, Sullivan-Ogg identified the prescriptions as fraudulent because they were inconsistent with how she wrote them. Investigators spoke with pharmacy officials in Council Bluffs and found the couple had used their driver’s licenses as identification to receive the prescription drugs.

Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker said the couple was booked into jail and later released on their own recognizance. A court date is pending.