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Three former nurses for Trinity Hospital’s Home Health and Hospice program are accused of stealing drugs prescribed for hospice patients between December 2012 and Sept. 8, 2014, according to a probable cause affidavit filed with North Central District Court.

Two of the nurses are also charged with endangering a patient by diluting medication or giving morphine instead of the more potent hydromorphine that was prescribed to manage pain.

April Beckler, 39, and Kim Kochel, 45, are both charged with the Class B felony offense of endangering a vulnerable adult. Beckler, Kochel and Jennifer Napora, 39, are all charged with one count of theft of property, a Class C felony. Beckler and Kochel are charged with conspiring to steal drugs, a Class C felony.

Beckler and Kochel were reported to the North Dakota Board of Nursing in 2014 and voluntarily surrendered their licenses after admitting to the allegations that were under investigation by the board, accordng to the affidavit.

A woman who had worked as a hospice nurse at the same time as Beckler and Kochel told police on March 1 that Beckler had made a confession to her in September 2014. Beckler allegedly confessed that her role in the thefts started after she and Kochel worked together after a patient died. They brought the unused medication back to the office and both ingested the medication. She then began using the medication herself and had been doing so for more than a year.

Further investigation was done this year by a supervisor and pharmacy director at Trinity Hospital into the medical and pharmacy records of 104 patients that were cared for by Beckler and Kochel. The investigation turned up multiple instances of “drug diversions” or drug thefts by one or both women. Napora was also implicated in some of the cases.

Police began investigating in January. They are seeking Beckler and Kochel. Napora was arrested on Friday and signed a promise to appear in district court in Minot on Oct. 2.

Once they are all in custody, more information on the diverted drugs will be released.