PITTSBURGH — An emergency medical technician is accused of stealing drugs from the ambulances of Ross/West View EMS and two competing companies.
According to police, Julian Smith stole narcotics boxes from Shaler EMS and McCandless/Franklin Ambulance Authority.
Five narcotics boxes went missing last week from Shaler EMS, Smith’s former employer, police said.
Smith, who stopped working for Shaler EMS in February, said he had a key, which he used to get into the garage during a shift change.
McCandless/Franklin Ambulance Authority also reported a theft from one of their ambulances while at UPMC Passavant.
Authorities said surveillance videos from inside the ambulance and from the hospital were used to identify Smith, who was seen taking a narcotics box. Police said Smith was at the hospital to drop off a patient with Ross/West View EMS, his current employer.
Smith told police he also stole narcotics boxes from Ross/West View EMS.
He said he stole the drugs because he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in Iraq.