Lab worker at medical examiner's office pleads guilty to stealing drug evidence

Megan Guza
Wednesday, July 25, 2018 5:42 p.m. | Wednesday, July 25, 2018 5:42 p.m.

Patrick Sison/AP

Abuse of painkillers, heroin, fentanyl and other opioids across the country has resulted in tens of thousands of children being taken from their homes and placed in the foster care system.

A former lab worker admitted Wednesday to stealing drugs he was responsible for analyzing when he worked at the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Matthew Ieraci, 29, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of theft of federal evidence, according to a news release.

Ieraci admitted that over the course of several weeks in February, he stole more than 52 grams of powdered alprazolam, the chemical name for the sedative Xanax, the release said.

The drugs had been submitted to the lab for testing by the Postal Inspection Service as part of a federal drug-trafficking investigation. Ieraci was the scientist assigned to analyze the evidence.

“When government employees tamper with and steal federal evidence, they not only abuse their position of trust, they also undermine the ability of law enforcement to investigate and prosecute criminal conduct,” U.S. Attorney Scott Brady said in a statement.

Such tampering can render evidence inadmissible in court.

Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 28 in front of U.S. District Judge Mark Hornak. Ieraci faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@tribweb.com or via Twitter @meganguzaTrib.

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