A former crime lab technician was arrested after police said he stole and used drugs.
Matthew Nicholas Ieraci, 28, is charged with theft by unlawful taking, tampering with physical evidence, prohibited acts-possession (drug violation), criminal mischief and receiving stolen property.
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The charges stemmed from incidents Feb. 15 and 16 when Ieraci is believed to have taken and used Alprazolam, which was submitted to the crime lab for testing.
According to a criminal complaint, on Feb. 8, the U.S. Postal Service delivered seven plastic containers to be tested for suspected carfentanil. It turned out to be Alprazolam, the active ingredient in Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug.
Later that month, on Feb. 27, police said Ieraci came to work with slurred speed and poor motor skills. He was sent for testing, and the results were positive for marijuana and Alprazolam. At that point the lab started doing an investigation.
On March 10, officials found a while powder outside of Ieraci's locker. They reviewed surveillance video, which they said shows the tech handling the evidence for 15 minutes on two different days.
The Allegheny County Police Department issued a warrant for Ieraci, who turned himself in to the County Police and was taken to the Allegheny County Jail, where he will be arraigned.
Criminal defense attorney Blaine Jones said this is a concern for any cases Ieraci dealt with while working in the lab.
"I was surprised. I was disturbed. What people have to realize is when there's an item sent to the crime lab, both the defendant and government rely on one crime lab," Jones said.
The district attorney's office said it has reviewed about 200 cases that are active, meaning they are either heading to trial or in the pretrial stages. As of Wednesday, they said no discrepancies or red flags have come up.
Stay with Channel 11 News and WPXI.com for continuing coverage.
Cox Media Group
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