Accused Salem Pill Thief Now A North Reading School Bus Driver

SALEM, MA -- Lisa Tillman, the 50-year-old Salem woman accused of stealing more than 18,000 pills from Beverly Hospital, has been driving a school bus for North Reading Transportation Bus Inc. while free on $10,000 bail and awaiting trial. And on Friday, a Salem District Court Judge Randy Chapman said she could continue to do when he denied a prosecution motion to amend conditions of her release. Chapman said Tillman could continue working for NRT as long as she submitted to two drug screenings per week.

Tillman, who pleaded not guilty to the charges in October, has worked for NRT since April, according to the Salem News, which first reported this story. Prosecutors say she stole Percocet, OxyContin, fentanyl and other medications over an 13-month period while working at Beverly Hospital. She told police she stole the pills for herself, and flushed the ones she did not take down the toilet.

"I don't think it's appropriate for the court to unilaterally impose a condition because we don't want her driving a bus," Chapman said during Friday's hearing. "She's in full compliance."

For more on this story, see the Salem News. Never miss another local news story: Get free local news alerts right to your inbox.

Patch file photo via Shutterstock.