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City woman accused of theft

Police: Pharmacy manager admitted to taking drugs

Accused of stealing prescription medications from a pharmacy, an Altoona woman is charged with felony crimes, including using deception to obtain the drugs.

Rebecca A. McConnell, 44, of 1533 N. Fourth Ave., was arraigned Monday morning before Magisterial District Judge Daniel DeAntonio, online court documents show.

According to a criminal complaint filed by Altoona police, an officer was called July 28 and told that there had been a theft at Thompson Pharmacy along Broad Avenue.

Employees told police that McConnell was a manager at the store.

Later, officials at the Broad Avenue pharmacy provided police with a list of items found missing during an inventory review.

“There were several discrepancies in some of the controlled substances in the pharmacy,” police said.

Police said witnesses also reported McConnell’s alleged thefts.

A man said he watched as McConnell took a pill bottle down from a shelf and “turned her body away from him and walked back toward the rear of the building,” the complaint reads.

“Then he heard a pill bottle being opened,” police said.

Police said they were told McConnell had admitted to the thefts, claiming she stole the pills for a family member.

McConnell admitted the same at the Altoona police station, where she filed a written confession, according to the complaint.

“In her written statement, the defendant admitted to taking oxycodone, hydrocodone, adderall, adipex and OxyContin,” the complaint reads.

McConnell said she took pills but “was unsure of the amount and/or exact controlled substances that she took.”

The price of all missing items — both opioids and stimulants — totalled $1,023, according to the complaint.

McConnell, who was recorded taking the pills on surveillance cameras, said she would steal pills “every other day,” police said.

She faces five felony counts each of using deception to obtain drugs, possession of a controlled substance and administration of a controlled substance, as well as a list of lesser charges.

McConnell is to appear for a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. Oct. 3 before Magisterial District Judge Ben Jones.

According to online court documents, McConnell is out of prison on $20,000 unsecured bail.

Mirror Staff Writer Sean Sauro is at 946-7535.

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