Alleged employee theft of drugs led to a Statesboro pharmacy recently settling with the United States government regarding accusations of violating the Controlled Substances Act, said Lehman Franklin, attorney representing the owners of Medical Center Pharmacies in Statesboro. An investigation and audit by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia began after pharmacy owners reported the theft and agents found a number of medications unaccounted for, Franklin said. The $85,000 settlement, announced Friday by the United States Department of Justice, was “to avoid extensive litigation,” Franklin said.