shawn.mcgrath@heraldbulletin.com

A pharmacy technician has been charged with multiple counts of theft and possession of a controlled substance after she allegedly stole prescription medication from an Anderson drug store over a nearly two-year period.

Elizabeth A. Zech, 23, of Tipton, was arrested at about 11 a.m. Friday at the Madison County Jail. She posted 10 percent of her $5,000 bond and was released about an hour later.

Prosecutors filed charges of three counts of theft and two counts of possession of a controlled substance, all Class D felonies, against her on Tuesday.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed with the charges:

Zech had been working at CVS, 2419 Nichol Ave., since November 2005, when she began stealing various prescription medications. Store employees began noticing shortages, and an internal investigation ultimately led them to Zech.

CVS loss prevention workers videotaped Zech taking a stock bottle of pills and dumping them into her lab coat on Sept. 19.

She later admitted the thefts to store personnel and Madison County Drug Task Force investigators.

Zech was charged with taking hydrocodone, a pain killer; the muscle relaxant clonazepam; Xanax, which is taken to treat anxiety disorders; and the anti-obesity drug Didrex, which is similar to amphetamines.

The amount of drugs Zech allegedly stole wasn’t included in the affidavit. It wasn’t immediately known when she would make an initial court appearance on the charges.