RICHLAND, Wash. -- A pharmacist has been sentenced for tampering with and stealing narcotic medicines at pharmacies in Kennewick and Richland.
Kenyon Neal Lyle, Jr. was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison, followed by 26 months of supervision. Lyle had pleaded guilty to two counts of tampering with consumer products and seven counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.
During the Summer and Fall of 2009, the Kenyon Neal Lyle, Jr. tampered with the narcotic drug Fentanyl, by opening the manufacturer's box containing Fentanyl transdermal patches, removing the patches, re-gluing the manufacturer's box and returning the then-empty manufacturer's boxes to a secured narcotics storage cabinet in the pharmacy where he worked.
This fact came to light after a pharmacy customer, who received two empty boxes, filed a report with the Kennewick Police Department. Further investigation revealed other empty manufacturer's boxes, as well as theft of Fentanyl and other controlled substances by Lyle using multiple means, included the destruction of records to conceal the theft of a shipment of Fentanyl, altering existing prescriptions to divert controlled substances, as well as the creation of fictitious prescription for a non-existent pharmacy customers to divert controlled substances.
During this offense, the Lyle was a licensed Pharmacist working at pharmacies in Kennewick and Richland, Washington.
