Lake Co. shuttle bus boss charged with skimming pills from senior
The head of the Wauconda Township shuttle service has resigned after being charged with stealing pain pills from an elderly rider.
Sheila D. Masterson, 46, of 1110 Florence St. in Johnsburg, was charged with misdemeanor theft after stealing the pain pills while picking up medication for an elderly woman on at least two occasions, police officials said.
Masterson, a 10-year employee of Wauconda Township, is free on bond after posting $100. She was scheduled to be in court Wednesday, officials said, but information on her case was not released Wednesday afternoon.
Masterson would not comment about the situation when reached Wednesday.
Wauconda Township Supervisor Glenn Swanson said Masterson resigned her position as senior services transportation director immediately after the arrest on Oct. 14.
According to Sgt. Tim Burke, Masterson drove an unnamed woman in the shuttle to Condell Medical Center in Libertyville on Oct. 2. At the hospital, Masterson asked the woman if she could go into the exam room during the medical appointment.
Masterson told the doctor the woman was in need of pain pills, prompting the doctor to write a Vicodin prescription for the woman, Burke said.
From there, Masterson drove the woman to Walgreens in Wauconda and had the woman wait on the bus while the prescription was filled. Twenty minutes later, Masterson returned to the bus, gave the prescription to the woman, then dropped her off at her home in Liberty Arms Retirement Community, Burke said.
Burke said the daughter of the woman became suspicious and had the woman count the number of pills in the prescription. The daughter discovered five pills were missing from the prescription, and she phoned police, Burke said.
Detectives had the woman set up a second pickup through the shuttle service for on Oct. 14. The woman received another prescription at the doctor's appointment - this time for the pain medication Tramadol - and was again taken to Walgreens to fill it, Burke said.
Undercover officers positioned in the store saw Masterson pick up the prescription and head into the washroom before exiting the store, Burke said.
Officers arrested Masterson in the parking lot with four of the prescription pills in her pocket and three Hydrocodone pills. It was unclear where Masterson picked up the Hydrocodone, Burke said.
Masterson was arrested and taken back to the police department, Burke said, while Swanson was called in to drive the elderly woman to her residence.
"We are in the process of hiring someone from within to take over the position," Swanson said. "There was no change in service in any way after the situation. We did not cancel rides or refuse to pick anyone up while shifting gears."