In one instance from October, Filsinger reportedly contacted a resident and offered to pick up a hydrocodone prescription. Two weeks later, he delivered it, but the resident discovered it had been replaced with an over-the-counter pain killer, court records say.
Sherriff’s Deputy Accused of Misusing Official Information to Steal Drugs
Sherriff’s Deputy Accused of Misusing Official Information to Steal Drugs
Former deputy accessed records to identify previous cases to visit the homes. He claimed to be following up to steal hydrocodone, Percocet, and others.
A former Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy was charged Friday with stealing prescription drugs from residents while on and off duty over the past few years.
Michael Filsinger, 35, of Arnold has been charged with four felony counts of stealing a controlled substance, plus two misdemeanor charges: stealing and misuse of official information by a public servant, court records show.
Calling it a “bad and embarrassing day for our department,” Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak shared news of the arrest and charges Friday in a post and video on Facebook. Filsinger, who started with the agency in 2008, was fired in December, Marshak said.
Filsinger is accused of accessing the department’s records to identify previous prescription drug cases, including names, addresses and other information. Filsinger would visit the homes, claiming to be following up on the cases, and then stole the prescription drugs, according to police. The medications included hydrocodone, Percocet, morphine and Vicodin, court records show.
Authorities said GPS tracking in Filsinger’s patrol vehicle confirmed that Filsinger had visited the residents despite having no personal or professional ties to them. The crimes are alleged to have occurred between September 2019 and December.
Another resident said Filsinger began visiting him in 2019, taking the man’s Percocet to Filsinger’s patrol vehicle, and returning it with pills missing. Filsinger later began asking for the medication outright, giving the man department-issued ammunition in return. Because of his own legal issues, the man said he was afraid to refuse Filsinger, according to a police statement.
After these victims and several others cooperated with investigators, police said Filsinger had contacted some in “an attempt to intimidate or influence” them. He was in custody in the Jefferson County Jail on Friday. No attorney was listed for him.
Marshak in his statement said the department could not describe its “disappointment and sadness” with the situation.
“However, we do not believe the Filsinger we terminated in December during this investigation was the same one who’d served this community since 2008,” the sheriff said. “We hope you recognize that we self-identified this issue and initiated our own investigation without any victims coming forward.”
Where the Diversion Occurred:
Jefferson County, Missouri Sheriff's Office
400 1st Street, Hillsboro, MO 63050, USA
Type of Healthcare Facility:
Person Diverting:
Michael Filsinger
Profession of the person diverting:
All Other
Has the incident been reported?
e.g. to local law enforcement, county board of health, state licensure board, and/or federal DEA or FDA authorities?
Yes
To whom has the incident been reported?
Local Law Enforcement
