Man in Court for Prescription Pain Pill Heists at Hospitals

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. - Police said there would be tighter security after a man was able to sneak into the intensive care unit at three area hospitals.

Police said 43-year-old Christopher Allison, who is a husband and father, was motivated by an addiction to prescription pain pills when he sneaked into the restricted areas at Piedmont Fayette Hospital as well as hospitals in Coweta and Henry counties.

FOX 5 News was the only news station in court when Allison appeared before a judge.

At a first appearance hearing Thursday, Allison told a judge that he was married and the father of two children. He also said he was employed at a Peachtree City Starbucks.

“He is basically an individual who is addicted to pain killers. And he cannot best the habit and he has found every way he can to feed his habit,” said Detective Chris Stevers of the Fayetteville Police Department.

Police said he used his business-like appearance twice to sneak into the ICU unit at Fayette Piedmont Hospital. Two counts of burglary stemmed from those incidents.

Police said he stole blank prescription forms that he used to illegally obtain prescription pain meds at local pharmacies.

“After interviewing him, he did not have a hospital badge per se,” Stevers said. “He would just make up some kind of identification badge not with his picture on it but with a logo that he could pass as an IT person or a physical therapist.  Nothing that actually said Piedmont Fayette on it.”

Police said investigators in Coweta County and Henry County are investigating similar crimes at two other Piedmont Hospitals.

Police are encouraging hospital staff to challenge anyone who doesn’t belong in restricted areas.

“Don’t be afraid to question them. Usually, if it doesn’t feel right, it usually isn’t,” Stevers said.

Bond was set at $60,000. The judge noted that Allison has had other run-ins with the law of with the law over drugs.