In a disturbing breach of trust within the San Jose Fire Department, veteran Fire Captain Mark Moalem faces serious charges following allegations of drug tampering and theft. As outlined in official statements, Moalem, a long-serving member of the department, is accused of tampering with vials of morphine and midazolam, replacing their contents with a different substance, and in one instance, outright theft of a narcotics box from Station 4, as per the County of Santa Clara District Attorney's Office.
Earlier this month, it was discovered that a vial of morphine intended for patient care had been compromised, with the San Jose Police Department's subsequent investigation leading to the doorstep of Moalem, who was found to have narcotics and related paraphernalia in his home. Amid the City of San Jose, this isn't Moalem's first entanglement with such offenses, having encountered similar charges dating back to 2013. In the unwavering words of District Attorney Jeff Rosen, "The community puts their lives in the hands of first responders during emergencies,” adding, per the District Attorney's Office, “There is no excuse for violating the trust and safety of Santa Clara County residents."
An audit of all 34 fire stations in the city revealed that at half of them, narcotics had been tampered with. Alarmingly, a paramedic reported that a patient had been administered morphine earlier in the month, which did not affect the patient's pain, indicative of the seriousness of the allegations against Moalem. The report by Hoodline further detailed the charges he faces, including burglary, child endangerment, and narcotics violations. Found at his residence were quantities of needles and various vials with San Jose Fire Department (SJFD) markings, evidence that appeared to corroborate the allegations.
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