Story Created:
Feb 26, 2010 at 7:12 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Feb 26, 2010 at 7:14 PM CDT
MCCRACKEN COUNTY, KY- "Guilty of complicity to theft of a controlled substance," Judge Jeff Hines read aloud Friday.
Marcus West, 28, kept his head down- showing little emotion after learning he could spend his next birthday behind bars. After trying to convince a jury of the former EMT's innocence for the past three days, attorney Will Kautz was defeated.
The jury found West not guilty on charges of theft of a control substance, a felony, and criminal facilitation of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor.
In the sentencing phase, later in the afternoon, he tried one last time to keep his client from going to jail.
"I'm sorry, I'm very, very sorry," West testified when he took the stand for the second time.
The EMT is accused of tampering with drugs aboard Mercy Regional ambulances and replacing them with saline.
He took the stand for just minutes- but the most memorable testimony came from his mother Kathy West, "He went to Katrina and worked his heart out. This was just a job he loved."
Kathy West told the jury her son was guilty- of bad judgment. She says he looked the other way when his friend and partner, Ray Huffmaster tampered with the drugs, "He thought this was his friend and he made a terrible mistake."
A terrible mistake- girlfriend Amy Rolnicki testified- that could keep them from a planned future.
"We wanted to do things that now...seem impossible," she said during a tearful testimony.
It took the jury just ten minutes to decide that future would be best behind bars. West was sentenced to two one-year sentences (reflecting the two drugs in question, valium and fetanyl) that will run concurrently.
Will Kautz said simply he was, "disappointed."
Certainly an understatement for a mother who could a year without hugging her son.
"I wish you'd known his before all this- he wasn't a bad person," she told the jury.
Will Kautz is hopeful when Marcus West returns for his formal sentencing April 12th Judge Jeff Hines will grant probation.
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Anonymous said on Monday, Mar 1 at 10:54 AM
Yep, welcome to McCracken County. I respect the jury's decision, the honesty of the defendant. Sentencing seemed fair.. But have to agree with many writers about the comparison of sentencing of others. How can we citizens not be concerned when political ties and emotions of detectives come in to play. To often the investigations are stopped way to short due to emotions that an investigator gets by getting all ego-ed out from a caller that is from some body, who know's somebody therefore steps up and says don't worry I understand and slams the door shut on the investigation. McCracken County Detectives break the number one, Politcal and Emotional ties...The secret society of who's who. It should be about the truth and investigating for the truth, every possible lead... This is not seen by the community because all to often, people arrested take plea bargins instead of going to trial. We have the weakest investigators in the state because of this. Very well educated, ve
38460966anon said on Monday, Mar 1 at 8:39 AM
He received two years? Didn't the older lady having a relationship with the teenage boy get probation? Our justice system is screwed up. By the way, why is Jamie Locke still employed? As supervisor, he should have been paying more attention.
38454273QAEngr said on Sunday, Feb 28 at 1:22 PM
All the comments about doctors and hospital staff using and stealing drugs and alcohol-even while working are true. Many doctors have been sent to rehab or fired and lost their license due these mistakes. With that being said, this man is being charged with complicity, which is fair. I think he shoudl lose his license to be an EMT and be granted probation. I also think he needs to pay restitution and...be granted probation. This does not warrant a year in jail.
38426538Anonymous said on Sunday, Feb 28 at 12:20 AM
Over 50 drugs in several places that were tampered with and only 2 people were responsible? Highly doubtful. And if it is true that there were only 2 people, this must have gone on for quite some time. What were the supervisors, directors and everyone else with fancy job titles doing during all this? I'm sure these fancy titles come with a pretty good salary. What are they getting paid to do? Were any of the individuals that were fired ever offered counseling or drug rehab? I'm guessing they were just thrown to the wolves. I don't agree with stealing or doing drugs, but I do believe that if people are going to punished, they should also be offered help.
38408453Anonymous said on Saturday, Feb 27 at 11:46 PM
It,s never about justice in mccracken co. It,s about money.
38407733Anonymous said on Saturday, Feb 27 at 7:23 PM
also, I pray for the jury, prosecutors, and people writing nasty things that when YOU may need an EMT or your family, you get a good one, because sometimes just because someone makes a mistake does NOT mean they dont love and are good at what they do. NOT AT ALL. You very well could have put away and put down a person that might have saved YOUR life, you go on and go on about these drugs and first and foremost this man did NOT take NOR USE them, he just did not tell on his friend, partner, BOSS for that matter, which I assume and agree many in America DO NOT either. This case wasnt about Justice it was about win or lose. Justice would be cleaning house at Mercy Ambulance with all the craziness going on there and helping these EMTs keep there heads up and on there shoulders while working in such a, wow, more than stressful environment. But America go on and Judge and Punish, that is all we know and that is all that will keep happening. Sad, I might say.
38401471Anonymous said on Saturday, Feb 27 at 7:18 PM
The sad fact about all of you folks that "don't agree" or think someone should be responsible. Well you for ONE don't know ALL the facts and TWO don't know either party. No one was there but the EMTs and more were involved and still are. Like one of the writers said, we either punish ALL people or NO people. One word that someone says should not be made an example of, we cannot all be interventionist for ours friends. I love my friends and have seen them do wrong things, but it is not my place to go around FIXING everyone. In a moral and ethical world, yes while working in such HIGH standards you should tell, but then again, you never know until you are in that persons shoes and being in JAIL ruining someones life and giving them a FELONY is not the answer. Its sad that in this world we decide NOT to help people and just PUNISH them so the world around will not consider them anything but criminal or bad, when some just are NOT.
38401333EdgeOfInsanity said on Saturday, Feb 27 at 12:47 PM
Look, Kentucky holds the esteemed position of being ranked # 1 (that is ONE) in the nation in the abuse of prescription medications. And, apparently in western Kentucky, and particularly Paducah, it is a ranking we support and enable in our so, so subtle ways. Are you folks aware that when the local 2 “big” hospitals catch medical staff lifting pain medication and benzos from patients to party with, police are not even called in to investigate? I bet you didn’t know that. But how would you in a news media market that doesn’t report such unpleasant truths. Is anyone even thinking about the suffering that might have been caused by a couple of emergency techs “partying down” with medications meant for patients in crisis. How are all you “former addicts” and “caring individuals” going to feel if it is your mother or child who gets ink stained saline solution instead of sorely needed medications at the time of an emergency? How do you think the families of those in one of the small
38389193doughesson said on Saturday, Feb 27 at 12:02 PM
Doctors can and do lose their licenses over drug misuse.If the upper levels of medicine can get slammed like that,why not the lower levels. Stories like this only make it harder for the honest EMTs,firefighters and cops to be trusted by the public.
38387408Steven said on Saturday, Feb 27 at 10:31 AM
Well I will be praying for him and hope that he gets the help he needs. I see people hoping they go easy on him, well the jury did. He only got 2 one year sentences that will run concurrent, which means only one year. The most he will do in jail is about 7-8 months, unless he messes up while he is in there and looses good time. So I'd say the jury went pretty easy on him, he could have gotten alot more.
38383323I know and he knows said on Saturday, Feb 27 at 12:43 AM
It's wild that the TV attorney's kautz and saladino get tv coverage all the time!! lots o better atty not paid buy advertising !!!!
38370903Anonymous said on Friday, Feb 26 at 11:23 PM
LISTEN WE LIVE IN A DAY AN TIME WHEN WE LOOK A DRUG AND IT USE BAD IN SOME CASES AND NOT SO BAD WHEN IT IS US. IVE BEEN DEALING WITH AN ADDICTION PROBLEM FOR ABOUT 10-12 YEARS THE EMT IS AND WAS IN THE WRONG.. HE SHOULD GET SOME KIND OF PUNISHMEN FOR THIS ACT. AND THEN HE SHOULD HAVE TO GO TO DRUG REHAB LIKE MOST PEOPLE DO THAT HAS BEEN CAUGHT . FOR YOU SEE THE DEALER IS JUST AS MUCH AS AN ADDICT. THEY GET USE TO THE MONEY LIKE AHTE USER LIKE THE DRUG. CAN YOU FEEL ME. TO TO REHAB MARCU SO THAT YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE GO THROUGH THIS SHOULD MAKE HIM LOOK AT THE WHOLD THING FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THHE USER..
38368468Anonymous said on Friday, Feb 26 at 11:20 PM
I can not believe all the double standards within the legal system. If the right person comes along and gets in to trouble, there is usually some way out of it for them. But, when they are trying to make an example of someone, there is no mercy. There are so many more people that should be found guilty of crimes and in those cases, the cases seem to be pushed under the rug. Not because of this one instance, but in so many more, I am embarrassed that there are loops in the legal system for some, but only for the ones that know the right people. In the medical field, there are many nurses caught with drugs, and they go to rehab and then return back to work. I hope I never have a lapse in judgement because I don't know anyone important that can get me out of it.
38368362TIM said on Friday, Feb 26 at 11:11 PM
SAD DAY PEOPLE JUST SO SAD BECAUSE EVERYONE NEEDS A SECOND CHANCE WAS HE SORRY FOR WHAT HE DID OR WAS IT HE JUST GOT CAUGHT.PLEASE MY BROTHER WE NEED YOU LEARN FROM THIS.
38368078ROSANNA TOWNES said on Friday, Feb 26 at 11:08 PM
I JUST SAW THIS ON T.V TONITE AND IT REALLY LEAVES YOU FEELING SO SORROWFUL FOR ANYONE THAT WAS IN THIS TYPE OF THING MARCUS I HOPE AN PRAY THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED YOUR LESSON.
38368003Concerned Nurse said on Friday, Feb 26 at 10:52 PM
I agree with the jury sentence. This is not acceptable behavior and it should have not been ignored by marcus. I work in the medical field and I would have no problem reporting someone diverting drugs. I understand everyone wants to be forgiving,but marcus had a responsibility to protect his patients and didn't. I don't care if I lost every friend I had in the world , I would not betray my trust to my patients. I hope marcus can move on with his life and do great things. I'm not trying to be judgemental but the line has to be drawn somewhere. He may not have took the drugs himself, but he didn't stop the other person from it either. Mercy regional is not to blame. There is a level of self control and trust that has to be maintained in this line of work. If you can't do that you need to walk away now! There are no excuses that can be said if someone was to die from their actions.
38367516Anonymous said on Friday, Feb 26 at 10:51 PM
I am amazed at the number of people that seem to think this is no big deal. If the whole country had this attitude then why do we need jails. This could have truned out really bad if they had not put a stop to it. How forgiving would you be if one of them had killed a family member while on drugs.
38367453Anonymous said on Friday, Feb 26 at 10:45 PM
Forgive them all you like, AND let them pay their fines, do their time, and take all the consequences just like everyone else has to.
38367253Anonymous said on Friday, Feb 26 at 10:43 PM
Anon @ 7:39 - - There is nothing at all wrong with being "equal and fair". Either EVERYBODY in the United States gets away with it, Always,,, Or,,, NOBODY in the United States gets away with it, Ever.
38367161Anonymous said on Friday, Feb 26 at 10:39 PM
6:41 and 7:42 - I wonder how much that you have done that you had to be forgiven for - or are you not human? Humans make mistakes. I have several family members who work in the health care system and am amazed at some of the things they tell about. I hope that WHEN you do something you shouldn't that you judge/jury is more compassionate that you are.
38367063Anonymous said on Friday, Feb 26 at 9:41 PM
I feel bad for him, and I agree with 7:30 anony. if we knew what some of these doctors did it would be scary, I know a few that have had problems with drugs. He sounds like he is guilty of bad judgment, I think we have all been guilty of that at some point in our lives.
38365111Avalanche said on Friday, Feb 26 at 9:18 PM
I agree with 7:39 pm Anonymous. I believe we have all witnessed things in our lives be personal or work related that we have looked the other way. I don't judge him, I don't wish bad on him, I just pray we all can forgive because so many of us have been in his shoes one way or another.
38364212Anonymous said on Friday, Feb 26 at 8:42 PM
I don't feel sorry for the man. In my experience if one is doing it the other is too. The only reason you don't tell is because you don't want to be found out yourself. They worked for the public and put people at risk. They deserve what they get if not more.
38362926Anonymous said on Friday, Feb 26 at 8:39 PM
I have been in the health field in some manner for over 20 years. The public would be suprised if they knew what I have witnessed. I have seen doctors make rounds drunk, perform surgery under the influence of alcohol and drugs, some doctors have even been fired from ther job while using meth. Same goes for some nurses, tech, etc. Ive even know of public officials such as judges, lawyers in the er with DUI. Marcus,and Putter were excellent EMT's. They just got involved in something they should not have. All the doctors/judges/lawyers I know of in the past 20 years have retained their licenses/certifications and continue to practice. We need to be equal and fair about this. Also, these EMT are not the only ones responsible. The managers and director at Mercy needs to held accountable also. There is no excuse for them. Bottom line,managers/directors are responsible for community saftey/care!!!!!
38362833Anonymous said on Friday, Feb 26 at 8:35 PM
I hope they go easy on him....I feel it was just a bad judgment call on his part...I think probation is the way to go.
38362616Anonymous said on Friday, Feb 26 at 8:29 PM
I really feel bad for him; however, working in the medical field and being around all of those medications is hard. If someone has a problem with drugs, for God's sake, don't put yourself in that type of situation. That is just asking for trouble. I work in the medical field and understand how tempting it can be, but that person will always get caught in the long run.
38362417Anonymous said on Friday, Feb 26 at 7:41 PM
They all need to spend some time in jail, and should spend at LEAST as much time as anyone else would, and they really should tack on the reckless disregard and fraud on the public. - - Without any doubt, all their licenses and certifications should be revoked, permanently, and none of them should ever find another job in the Health industry again.
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