Woman charged for posing as nurse to steal pain meds
Jun 10, 2013, 4:53 PM | Updated: Jun 11, 2013, 7:45 am
A woman accused of posing as a nurse at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle has been charged.
Detectives were able to identify Rachel Nezat, accused of cutting patient’s IV tubes to steal pain medication, from hospital surveillance video.
Hospital staff told police Nezat was dressed like a nurse, wearing a blue blouse and black shoes, so she could go in and out of rooms without being noticed.
A patient in the Seattle hospital complained she woke up to find a strange person fiddling with her IV tube.
A check of the machine that patients use to self-administer pain medications, known as a PCA, showed pry marks, indicating somebody tried to get at the drugs inside, according to a police report.
The suspect was later observed looking into other patient rooms on another floor. When hospital staff approached the suspect, she said that she was there to check the PCA machines. A few of the machines had been taken out of service so the staff member didn’t think it was suspicious.
The suspect continued into another room where family members were present with a patient. The family members noticed blood after the suspect left and saw the PCA tubing had been cut.
Nezat has been charged with two counts of misdemeanor property destruction and one count criminal trespass. She could face up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
