Hospice Nurse Charged with Wire Fraud and Identity Theft
Hospice Nurse Charged with Wire Fraud and Identity Theft
Tennessee hospice nurse charged with fraud, identity theft for her role in defrauding local pharmacies with the intent of distributing controlled substances.
The Department of Justice, together with federal and state law enforcement partners, announced criminal charges against 14 defendants in eight federal districts across the United States for their alleged involvement in crimes related to the unlawful distribution of opioids. Twelve of the defendants were medical professionals at the time of these alleged offenses.
A hospice nurse of Pulaski, Tennessee was charged by indictment with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute in connection with a scheme to unlawfully obtain opioids by filling fraudulent prescriptions in the names of current and former hospice patients. The former nurse and clinical director allegedly used the personally identifiable information of her patients at two different hospices to fill unauthorized prescriptions for thousands of hydrocodone and oxycodone pills. According to the indictment, the nurse used the patients’ hospice benefits to cover the costs of the unlawfully obtained prescription opioids, but allegedly kept the drugs for her own use and further distribution.
Approximate date(s) of the diversion:
6/14/13
Where the Diversion Occurred:
Compassus Hospice
726 N Locust Ave Suite B, Lawrenceburg, TN 38464
Type of Healthcare Facility:
Hospice Center
Has the incident been reported?
e.g. to local law enforcement, county board of health, state licensure board, and/or federal DEA or FDA authorities?
Yes
To whom has the incident been reported?
Local Law Enforcement
