Veterinary hospital employee accused of taking fentanyl from work, replacing it with salt water

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT/Gray News) — A veterinary hospital employee is facing theft charges after she was caught stealing multiple vials of fentanyl from her work, according to court records.Records show 41-year-old Alison Klafehn was arrested Monday morning at the University of Tennessee’s College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM).Klafehn is accused of stealing fentanyl on multiple occasions.According to reports, Dr. Paul Plummer, the dean of UTCVM, accused Klafehn of stealing fentanyl and called the police.Police reports said that when questioned, Klafehn admitted to ingesting fentanyl, saying she would take 6 to 8 mL at a time.The report also said officers saw Klafehn on the facility’s security cameras taking fentanyl and replacing it with sodium chloride, or salt water. She had done this multiple times, according to court records.Police estimate that more than 40 mL of fentanyl is missing, but they expect the final amount to be higher once the investigation concludes.Klafehn was charge