Local pharmacist appears in court on 26 felony charges

ALAMO, Tenn. — A former employee of a local pharmacist speaks out about the new charges the pharmacist received earlier this week.

A Crockett County grand jury indicted 76-year-old Glen Bonifield on multiple TennCare fraud charges and a theft charge.

He appeared Friday morning in Crockett County Circuit Court.

“The grand jury in a presentment has charged you with 25 counts of TennCare Fraud and theft of property at value of between $10,000 and $60,000,” Circuit Court Judge Peebles said.

Bonifield’s pharmacy was shut down back in April after months of an undercover investigation by the Office of Inspector General, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the West Tennessee Drug Task Force, which includes multiple area agencies.

During the investigation, authorities said they were able to purchase hydrocodone, Xanax and even crack cocaine from the pharmacy in Bells.

Bonifield’s former employee, Pamela Mauldin, said she is still shocked at the new charges, saying her former boss would never be involved with anything like this.

“They’re saying that he sold pills to buy employees crack and stuff like that. Mr. Glen never sold a pill to no one. He never did,” she said.

On Tuesday, the grand jury indicted Bonifield on 26 felony counts.

Mauldin said she plans to be with her former boss every step of the way.

“Mr. Glen is a good man, and he spent 50 years of work and he had to give it all up for people that started working there and someone coming in there,” Mauldin said.

Bonifield’s attorney said he is representing him on another case but expects to be hired to represent Bonifield on these new charges.

Bonifield’s case was continued until February. He remains in the Crockett County Jail in lieu of a $350,000 bond.