NURSE CONVICTED OF STEALING DRUGS FROM BRUNSWICK HOSPITAL

October 26, 2004

OCTOBER 26, 2004

MARIA ROBINSON, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL, 207-626-8886

 

          The Maine Office of the Attorney General, Healthcare Crimes Unit (“HCU”) announced that Registered Nurse, Lisa Paddock, 42, of Bowdoin, pled guilty yesterday in Superior Court in Portland to two counts of stealing drugs, a class C crime.  The offenses occurred in June and July of 2003, while Paddock was working as a registered nurse at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick.

Paddock withdrew morphine from a computerized pill dispenser using the names of patients for whom the drugs were intended, but she took the morphine for herself rather than giving it to the patients.

The court sentenced Paddock to 18 months jail with all but 45 days suspended (which will be completed as work release), one year of probation.  During her probation, Paddock must submit to random searches and testing for illegal drugs.  Paddock lost her nursing license through a separate administrative action by the Board of Nursing earlier this year.

            The case was investigated by Detective Christine Baker and prosecuted by the Maine Office of Attorney General’s Healthcare Crimes Unit, the designated Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for the State of Maine.  Special Agent Eric Hafener of the United States Department of Health and Human assisted the HCU in investigating this matter. 

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