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A nurse was charged Thursday with taking prescription painkillers from patients in a White Lake long-term care facility.
A. E. Jones, 40, a registered nurse from Brandon who worked at the facility, is charged with misrepresentation to obtain a controlled substance, a Class 4 felony.
An affidavit filed by Pat Kneip, a special assistant attorney general for the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, stated that Kneip interviewed Jones at her home on Feb. 12 and that he asked her about the overnight shift she worked on Jan. 29.
According to the affidavit, Jones told Kneip that she had recorded that two hydrocodone tablets were given to a patient to whom they were prescribed but that she had taken them rather than giving them to the patient.
Hydrocodone is an opioid that is prescribed for pain relief and includes brands such as Vicodin. South Dakota Codified Law lists hydrocodone as a schedule II drug. The law defines schedule II drugs as those that, unlike schedule I drugs, have an accepted medical use, as well as a high potential for abuse and dependence.
Rather than executing an arrest warrant against Jones, Aurora County State’s Attorney John Steele indicated in a letter to Jones that he would allow her to appear in court voluntarily on Wednesday. If she fails to appear, the court could require Jones to pay a cash bond.