Danville Pharmacy Technician Sentenced for Federal Drug Charge

DANVILLE, Virginia – Paulette G Toller, a former pharmacy technician working in Danville, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Danville to 13 months in federal prison for illegal distribution of a controlled substance. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Jesse Fong, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Field Division made the announcement.

Toller, 60, pleaded guilty in February 2020 to possessing with the intent to distribute and distributing a controlled substance, acquiring, and obtaining possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery or deception.

According to court documents, Toller, who worked as a pharmacy technician at Sovah Health Danville since 2001, admitted to finding a “loophole” in the hospital’s automated dispensing system that allowed her to withdraw controlled substances under codes that were no longer valid. Toller admitted to obtaining the substances, which included hydrocodone, oxycodone, and other controlled substances, for her own personal use.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Virginia State Police, and the Danville Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Baudinet and Randy Ramseyer prosecuted the case for the United States.