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First Posted: 7/15/2013

PLAINS TWP. — Plains Township police filed charges against Wilkes-Barre Area School District employee Stacie Lynne Thoma, alleging she used fictitious names multiple times to obtain prescription drugs through the mail, receiving the drugs at the Leo Solomon/Plains Memorial Junior High School.

Police Chief James O’Malley said the charges were filed last week and processed Monday by District Judge Diana Malast. O’Malley said the investigation was begun by district security and police staff, with a U.S. postal inspector brought in before the case was turned over to township police.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, around June 14 officer Barry Jacobs of the School District referred the investigation to township police, advising that Thoma had been receiving packages at the school.

On May 28, a package was shipped via USPS Express mail from Advanced Homecare in Redford, Mich., addressed to Lynne Thomas at the school address. The package was delivered May 30 at the school with Stacie Lynne Thoma signing for it, police say.

Jacobs, District Security Director Brian Lavan and Postal Inspector David Conklin approached Thoma on May 30 and she signed a waiver allowing them to search her desk, police say. Thoma retrieved a package containing a medication bottle with 90 Tramadol tablets. Tramadol is a pain reliever. The bottle was prescribed to Lynne Thomas.

“Thoma retrieved the package from the area of her desk/purse,” the affidavit states.

Thoma provided a written statement indicating she had ordered prescription medications in other names on several occasions for at least a year, police say, because “she was taking more than originally prescribed.”

O’Malley said police did not file drug charges because Thoma was buying prescription drugs, not controlled substances. He also said the amounts ordered were too small to make it likely she was buying them with intent to sell.

A preliminary hearing has been set for Aug. 6 at 8:45 a.m. before Malast. District officials could not be reached Friday afternoon.