Wednesday, September 19, 2001
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Wednesday, September 19, 2001 |
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Former PTC officer charged with forging prescriptions; addiction to drugs alleged By JOHN
MUNFORD
A former Peachtree City police sergeant has been arrested for using fake prescriptions at several local pharmacies to obtain pain medication. Christopher Neal Holt, 32, faces eight felony counts of forgery in the first degree. According to warrants issued for his arrest, Holt presented forged prescriptions at several different pharmacies for medication such as Lorcet, Lortab, Percocet and Calan. According to documents obtained from the department, Holt was found to have been addicted to pharmaceutical drugs after an internal affairs investigation was conducted. Holt, who had been with the department for approximately seven years, was terminated July 19. The action followed the internal affairs investigation that revealed he used the medication in a manner that affected his duty performance, according to documents. Police Chief James Murray said the department had "worked" with Holt since he began suffering from a debilitating illness three or four years ago. Murray could not go into the details of the illness but explained that the department became aware of problems Holt was having that affected his job performance. "We had been monitoring his progress because of his medications," Murray said, adding that the department consulted with his physician "to make sure his illness wasn't affecting his ability to do his job." The Fayette County Sheriff's Department and state narcotics officers were contacted to investigate the matter and make sure the criminal investigation was handled properly, Murray said. "We asked the Fayette County Sheriff's Department to investigate anything that needed to be investigated," Murray said, noting that the state narcotics agency was also asked to investigate. Murray noted that Peachtree City police officers arrested Holt on DUI charges Sept. 1, which was difficult for them since they were aware of Holt's struggles. "He was a very good officer, well respected by his peers and a hard worker," Murray said, adding that until recent events Holt "was a dedicated employee and well-liked by everybody." The Peace Officer Standards and Training Council has been asked to revoke Holt's certification as a police officer. Holt's firing came just over a week after he was placed on administrative suspension for violating department rules and failure to obey laws and orders, according to city documents. The firing coincided with the beginning of the internal affairs investigation. Murray said Holt was not selling or distributing the medication to others. "The sad thing in this is that the only victim is himself," Murray said.
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