A Belleville nurse, Angela Mohler, 40, pled guilty to five counts of obtaining drugs by fraud on Wednesday, October 13, 2021.
According to court documents, Mohler worked as a nurse for senior care and nursing facilities from 2018 to 2021, including facilities in Edwardsville, Belleville, Lebanon, and Caseyville. She used her position of trust to steal pain medications like oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine from vulnerable patients. After taking the drugs for her personal use, Mohler would often destroy or modify the patient’s records to cover up the thefts. This meant the patient’s records would show Mohler had given him or her pain medication, when in fact they had often suffered without it.
Mohler is one of several medical professionals recently charged with stealing medication from patients. In April, a nurse, Krista Brenner, was indicted on similar charges for stealing pain medication while working at senior care facilities in the Metro East area in 2019.
In September, another nurse, Joseph Mattingly, was sentenced on charges of stealing pain medication from residents while working at a center for adults with intellectual disabilities in 2018.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General – Office of Investigations and the Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau.
If you suspect or know of an individual or company that is not complying with healthcare laws or public aid programs, you may report this activity to the local office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, or you may call 1.800.447.8477.
Tags: Drug Theft Healthcare Diversion Hydrocodone Morphine Nurse Diversion Oxycodone Patient Harm Provider Arrest