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Man Accused Of Accepting Bribes
A lab assistant charged with taking money to cover up urine test results has highlighted the state's lack of oversight of drug-test screeners. Neal Lamar Holmes, 41, of Charleston, was arrested last month on a charge of obstructing justice. He is accused of taking $90 total from two undercover agents to give clean test results.
Authorities say it was not the first time Holmes had asked for money to alter tests. They believe he conducted at least hundreds of drug tests for the U.S. Probation Office and the U.S. District Court in Charleston during his three years as a drug screener.
Authorities concede they have no way of knowing how many of those results are potentially tainted.
If convicted, Holmes faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He has not yet entered a plea.
If his employer at a North Charleston drug screening lab had been required to conduct a thorough background check, Holmes might never have gotten the job. His employer did not, partly because he also worked for North Charleston's Municipal Court.
"One would think that if someone would be a constable of the court, that someone would be trustworthy," said Heather Harrington, president of the Alternatives Life Improvement Center, where Holmes used to work. But Holmes' arrest record between 1981 and 1996 shows he was convicted twice for shoplifting and once for writing a bad check, according to State Law Enforcement Division records.
While some believe the arrest should send employers a wake-up call to be more vigilant, others say the state might need to get involved. "Drug testing is a serious business," said Jean Hamon, manager of Low Country Drug Screening in North Charleston. "People's lives are determined by the outcome of a drug test."
The state should at least require that anyone who collects urine specimens in South Carolina be certified by a nationally recognized clinical organization, said Ruth DeHaven, director of St. Andrew Medical Center, which conducts urine screens.She said attempts to pass dirty urine are common. She recently rejected a sample that a client laced with bleach in an attempt to cover up his marijuana use. Others have tried passing off watered-down Mountain Dew as a urine sample, or bought urine substitutes on the Internet, she said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom
Pubdate: Mon, 27 Feb 2006
Source: Charlotte Observer (NC)
Copyright: 2006 The Charlotte Observer
Contact: opinion@charlotteobserver.com
Website: Charlotte Observer : Charlotte news, events, Panthers, Bobcats, jobs, cars, homes
Details: MapInc (Drug Testing)
Bookmark: MapInc (Corruption - United States)
A lab assistant charged with taking money to cover up urine test results has highlighted the state's lack of oversight of drug-test screeners. Neal Lamar Holmes, 41, of Charleston, was arrested last month on a charge of obstructing justice. He is accused of taking $90 total from two undercover agents to give clean test results.
Authorities say it was not the first time Holmes had asked for money to alter tests. They believe he conducted at least hundreds of drug tests for the U.S. Probation Office and the U.S. District Court in Charleston during his three years as a drug screener.
Authorities concede they have no way of knowing how many of those results are potentially tainted.
If convicted, Holmes faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He has not yet entered a plea.
If his employer at a North Charleston drug screening lab had been required to conduct a thorough background check, Holmes might never have gotten the job. His employer did not, partly because he also worked for North Charleston's Municipal Court.
"One would think that if someone would be a constable of the court, that someone would be trustworthy," said Heather Harrington, president of the Alternatives Life Improvement Center, where Holmes used to work. But Holmes' arrest record between 1981 and 1996 shows he was convicted twice for shoplifting and once for writing a bad check, according to State Law Enforcement Division records.
While some believe the arrest should send employers a wake-up call to be more vigilant, others say the state might need to get involved. "Drug testing is a serious business," said Jean Hamon, manager of Low Country Drug Screening in North Charleston. "People's lives are determined by the outcome of a drug test."
The state should at least require that anyone who collects urine specimens in South Carolina be certified by a nationally recognized clinical organization, said Ruth DeHaven, director of St. Andrew Medical Center, which conducts urine screens.She said attempts to pass dirty urine are common. She recently rejected a sample that a client laced with bleach in an attempt to cover up his marijuana use. Others have tried passing off watered-down Mountain Dew as a urine sample, or bought urine substitutes on the Internet, she said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom
Pubdate: Mon, 27 Feb 2006
Source: Charlotte Observer (NC)
Copyright: 2006 The Charlotte Observer
Contact: opinion@charlotteobserver.com
Website: Charlotte Observer : Charlotte news, events, Panthers, Bobcats, jobs, cars, homes
Details: MapInc (Drug Testing)
Bookmark: MapInc (Corruption - United States)
