By Jason Green
Bay Area News Group
SAN JOSE, Calif. — A veteran San Jose fire captain was arrested Thursday on suspicion of stealing controlled substances from at least one city fire station, according to authorities.
On Monday, the San Jose Fire Department reported the discovery of several drugs in its custody that were potentially damaged or tampered with, a San Jose police spokesperson said.
A preliminary investigation confirmed multiple substances had been tampered with and some were found to be missing, according to police. Detectives identified San Jose Fire Capt. Mark Moalem as the chief suspect and obtained search and arrest warrants.
Additional evidence linking Moalem to the theft was found during a search of his home, police said.
Moalem was booked into Santa Clara County jail on charges including burglary and child endangerment, as well as for narcotics-related offenses, according to police.
The fire department conducted an audit of its controlled substances, and it is suspected that drugs may have been taken from an additional 16 fire stations and tampered with, the offices of the San Jose city manager and mayor said in a joint statement.
“Lives depend on our firefighters’ ability to administer medical care during emergencies which is why we take theft of controlled substances extremely seriously,” Mayor Matt Mahan said. “I’m grateful to our city manager and police chief for acting quickly and decisively by opening an investigation and holding those responsible accountable.”
City Manager Jennifer Maguire added that she “will not tolerate criminal behavior.”
“The allegations are deeply concerning and represent a serious breach of public trust,” she said. “I want to be unequivocal: any conduct that endangers community safety or undermines the integrity of our public institution will be addressed with the utmost seriousness.”
Moalem, who joined the fire department in 2002, was charged with drug-related offenses in 2013 and ultimately received a deferred judgment, San Jose Fire Chief Robert Sapien Jr . said in a statement. After meeting court requirements under the deferred judgment, Moalem was subject to disciplinary action by the city and was required to submit to random drug testing over several years, according to the fire chief.
Moalem nearly lost his paramedic license as a result of the 2013 case, Sapien said.
Sapien’s statement also provided additional details about the current case. On Monday, during an inspection and restock of fire station medications, containers of controlled substances were found to be damaged and suspected to have been tampered with at a fire station, he said.
“In the ensuing hours and with public safety and operational readiness as my primary concerns,” Sapien said, “the ( San Jose Fire Department ) cooperated fully with the San Jose Police Department’s investigation, notified the Drug Enforcement Agency, the county Emergency Medical Services Agency, and expedited inspection of the controlled substance inventory department-wide, removing any inventory that had even the slightest indication of possible damage or tampering.”
Moalem is not working and was last onsite on Tuesday, according to the fire chief.
“I, along with the entire San Jose Fire Department, am beyond disappointed in the actions and crimes alleged thus far as they are antithetical to the mission and values of the department,” Sapien said.
Anyone with information related to the case can contact the police department at 408-277-4521.
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