MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – A woman and a man who worked at the Macomb County Morgue have been charged for stealing drugs off of bodies, prosecutors said.
Jocelyn Fetting, 32, is accused of taking drugs from the medical examiner’s office with intent to sell them, officials said.
Jacob Kettlewell, 50, is accused of taking “an occasional pill” from the medical examiner’s office and consuming it, according to authorities.
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel said two years ago that some steps of the medical examiner’s drug disposal process gave him pause. Prescription drugs were being brought to the medical examiner’s property room alongside bodies -- for example, if a death was being investigated as a possible overdose.
Hackel requested more control over that part of the operation. The county signed a new contract with an office management company to oversee the process.
Officials said they noticed 20 hydrocodone pain pills had gone missing, and there were 19 employees with access to the property room.
“That’s not a good policy to have with an evidence room,” Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said. “I mean, as large as the sheriff’s office is -- I have four people that have access to our property room. I don’t even have access, nor want access, to the property room.”
Investigators said the chain of drug custody caught their eye, and some workers were concerned about people pocketing some of the drugs.
While authorities were interviewing all the employees, Fetting and Kettlewell admitted to pocketing drugs. They were fired.
“It’s sad,” Hackel said. “Nobody wants to terminate employees. I think you want to figure out how you manage these employees but, let’s face it, at times, you do have folks who have issues.”
The missing hydrocodone pills were not recovered.
Fetting is charged with conspiracy with intent to deliver, delivery of Suboxone, delivery of Adderall, and larceny of a building. The first three charges are each seven-year felonies, and the larceny charge is a four-year felony.
Kettlewell is charged with larceny, a 93-day misdemeanor, and use of a controlled substance, a one-year misdemeanor.
Both Kettlewell and Fetting were arraigned Wednesday (Feb. 1) at 41B District Court. They were given a $5,000 personal bond.
The next court date is scheduled for May 9.