Information from WYSH Radio in Clinton
A van driver for the East Tennessee Human Resource Agency was arrested last week after he allegedly bought pain pills from a confidential informant in a bathroom at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge.
Leonard Shannon Ellis, 33, of Rockwood and Keith Edward Sackett, 55, of Kingston are each in custody at the Anderson County Jail on charges of criminal conspiracy and possession of a controlled substance.
Sheriff’s deputies received information from the informant that he could arrange to sell a large quantity of Roxycodone pills to Ellis, and a meeting was set up at the hospital on Wednesday, Nov. 21.
Shortly before 11:30 am, Ellis—driving an ETHRA van—stopped in the hospital parking lot and met with Sackett, who gave him $400 to purchase the pills. Ellis then met with the informant in a bathroom in the hospital, purchased the pills and split them with Sackett in the parking lot on his way out.
Both men were arrested within minutes and taken into custody.
This story brought to you through an agreement between Oak Ridge Today and WYSH. See more local news headlines on the WYSH website at http://www.wyshradio.com/local_news.html.
Tj garland says
Another reason to get rid of these very expensive free taxis. Start counting the passengers in each large bus as it goes by. Almost all the time there will be only one. They have to cost Tennesseans $100K each annually.
Ck Kelsey says
Government sponsored drug trafficking. Pun intended !.
Shelley Wright says
It is scary to know that stuff like this is going on around us and we would never know it. And I agree it’s time to get rid of the vans, I worked with a young man who went to school at Emory Valley and was brought to work by one of the vans, it did give him the opportunity to work and become somewhat self sufficient. BUT, it is sad that something that CAN and should help people is being operated by someone who gives it a bad name.
John Huotari says
I have known people who weren’t able to get around easily who used ETHRA’s transportation services for medical trips, but I don’t know how the finances worked or the cost of the services.