Former Blount deputy arrested for prescription fraud

A decorated former Blount County deputy has been arrested on charges of prescription fraud.

Up until two weeks ago, Angela Thompson was a deputy with the Blount County Sheriff's Office. Thompson was a corporal in the patrol division and supervised the K-9 unit. Tuesday, she was arrested by her former colleagues on prescription fraud charges.

The complaint in criminal court says Thompson picked up a fraudulent prescription refill on Tuesday for Zolpideum Tartrate, the Schedule IV narcotic known commercially as Ambien. That refill is also alleged to be from a fraudulent prescription called in on October 26,2007.

A spokesperson for the Blount County Sheriff's Office said the investigation is ongoing. Blount County Sheriff James Berrong has not yet issued any statement on the investigation.

Thompson had been with the Blount County Sheriff's Office for several years. In 2002, she was named Officer of the Year.

Thompson resigned from the sheriff's office in a letter dated November 6th, citing personal reasons.