A Florida nurse was arrested Wednesday and charged with stealing more than 10,000 painkillers from the rehabilitation center where she worked, The Tampa Bay Times reported.
Ashley Kristian Taylor, 33, was charged with 12 counts of possession of a controlled substance, plus counts of grand theft of a controlled substance, scheming to defraud to obtain prescriptions and obtaining a prescription by fraud, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. Deputies said they found more than 300 empty blister packs related to the thefts at Taylor's home.
The Spring Hill Health and Rehab Center, where Taylor worked, reported the theft Tuesday. A spokeswoman for the facility said Taylor was fired from her job, BayNews9 reported.
According to deputies, Taylor said she ordered extra medication from the pharmacy so patients at the rehab center would still have their dosages, the Times reported.
“If a patient would need, say, two Percocet, she would check out four Percocet from the medication cart, pocket two and then give the patient the two that he or she was prescribed,” said Denise Moloney, public information for the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
Taylor, who cooperated with authorities, told deputies she had been battling a drug addiction since suffering an injury several years ago, BayNews9 reported.
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