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Federal authorities announced Wednesday that they have charged a Tamaqua woman with stealing drugs from the Veterans Administration Hospital in Wilkes-Barre.

Janice M. Matrician, 50, who worked as a nurse at the hospital, faces a charge of obtaining narcotics by fraud or misrepresentation, which carries a maximum possible sentence of four years in prison, a term of supervised release after that and a fine of $250,000.

Prosecutors allege that on May 22, 2015, Matrician represented to the hospital’s computerized automatic distribution system that she had disposed of the drugs. However, Matrician kept the drugs, which authorities did not identify, for her own use, according to prosecutors.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs police investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley.