Teacher suspended after arrest

SHELBY - Following a month-long prescription fraud investigation, police arrested a Shelby Middle School teacher on the first day of school.
John Pitcher, a sixth-grade science teacher, has been suspended with pay, according to Donna Carpenter, director of public information for Cleveland County Schools.
"He has not been in a classroom this year," Carpenter said Wednesday.
According to Shelby Police Sgt. Scott Champion, the investigation into Pitcher's alleged activity began about a month ago after police received an anonymous tip.
Court documents state Pitcher, 42, is said to have made a photocopy of a prescription for Adderall, which had previously been filled, and used it at the Wal-Mart pharmacy April 14. Adderall is primarily used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy.
He is charged with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud/forgery.
"We have secured one charge as of now for prescription drug fraud," Champion said. "The investigation is continuing. It could lead to additional charges."
Pitcher, of 722 Sumter St., could not be reached for comment Wednesday. He was released on a $2,500 unsecured bond, according to court documents. A probable cause hearing is scheduled for Sept. 29.
According to his staff page on the Cleveland County Schools Web site, Pitcher spent several years in the Army, received a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in teaching.
Champion said prescription drug fraud has been a growing trend in Shelby over the past year or two.
"It's a fairly common thing that we see a lot," he said. "It seems to be more and more, recently."