LANCASTER — An employee of the Garrard County Emergency Medical Service is accused of stealing morphine that belonged to the ambulance agency.

Thomas Shelton, 37, of Lancaster pleaded not guilty Wednesday during an arraignment in Garrard Circuit Court. He was released on a $1,000 bond.

Shelton was charged with 21 counts of theft of a controlled substance of less than $300. Each count is a felony punishable by one to five years in prison. The thefts allegedly occurred between February 2008 and August 2009.

Shelton was charged through an information, which is a charge brought directly by a prosecutor without going through a grand jury.

Garrard County Judge-Executive John Wilson said Thursday that Shelton, a paramedic who had been with the ambulance service "a number of years," has been fired.

Ambulance service officials had no comment.

Shelton's attorney, David Marshall of Nicholasville, could not be reached for comment.

A pretrial conference is scheduled for Dec. 18.