Pharmacy employee arrested for theft of prescription drugs

A St Johns County Sheriff’s Office spokesman reported to Historic City News that a Walgreens employee was arrested Thursday after she stole more than 200 prescription pills from the pharmacy’s store located on CR-210 West.

According to official records, 22-year-old Keara Leigh Russ who resides at 3020 Atherly Road in St Augustine was arrested and booked into the St Johns County Detention Facility at 10:21 p.m. Thursday night, then released on $5,000 bond at 2:10 a.m.

Russ is charged with grand theft of a controlled substance, a third-degree felony, and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, also a third-degree felony.

According to her arrest report, pharmacy officials told deputies they suspected Russ and she was questioned about the theft. Russ admitted to them that she took 30 hydrocodone pills about a month ago because she was between doctors and did not want to run out.

Company employees searched Russ’s work locker and found three pill bottles in her purse. In them were 105 Xanax pills, 96 hydrocodone, 47 oxycodone and a variety of other unidentified pills the arrest report said.