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OSAGE | A Mason City nurse authorities say stole powerful painkillers from patients in two North Iowa health-care facilities faces criminal charges.
Keri Lea Martinez, 33, was charged with four felony counts of prohibited acts, two misdemeanor counts of tampering with records and one misdemeanor count of fifth-degree theft.
Martinez, who is free on bond, wasn’t immediately available for comment Monday afternoon.
She’s accused of taking Oxycodone pills from a resident at Osage Rehab twice in July, once by swiping a single pill from a delivery and once by creating a narcotics log that falsely reported the patient had two pills left when there should have been 16 pills, according to court documents.
Martinez also is accused of taking Tramadol from a resident of Good Samaritan Society in St. Ansgar from Nov. 11-17 and replacing it with Tylenol.
Investigators say she took Hydrocodone twice in November from the Good Samartian Society patient, then signed documents indicating she had given it to the patient when she kept it for herself, according to court documents.
Oxycodone, Hydrocodone and Tramadol are powerful painkillers.
Representatives from Osage Rehab and Good Samaritan Society in St. Ansgar had no comment.
The investigation was conducted by the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
— Molly Montag