6th graders charged with selling Ambien at school

RIVERSIDE, N.J. (WPVI) -- Two Burlington County 6th graders are accused of trying to sell prescription pills to their classmates at school.

Police say the 12-year-old boys took a family member's Ambien and brought the pills to their Riverside Township school on Tuesday to sell for $10 each.

"They didn't know, that was the problem. They weren't familiar with what the medication was. They didn't know how they would react to it and there was really no knowledge on what they were consuming," School Resource Officer Anthony Congemi said.

Police think only one other student took the Ambien. A total of 15 pills were missing.

Those students are now facing charges for possessing and distributing prescription drugs.

"This incident with the Ambien is considered isolated. We do not feel these juveniles have been distributing this medication for a long period of time," Lt. Louis Fisher of the Riverside Police Department said.

Most parents found out about what happened at the school on social media.

"A lot of people in this town don't have computers and they like to send everything through their site or computers, we unfortunately don't have one," parent Danial Williams said.

Parents want to know why they still haven't received any information from the school.

"Every single parent should have been notified at that school. Everyone," parent Stephanie Mahle said.

"I'm just finding out today. I don't know if this is days ago, today. I don't know anything of when it happened," Williams said.

Action News did reach out to the school for a comment, but we have not received a response.