Northern Ont. health-care worker charged with stealing drugs

A 38-year-old health-care worker from Sault Ste. Marie has been charged after an almost 10-month investigation that began when police received a request from the health-care facility where the accused worked. (File)

A 38-year-old health-care worker from Sault Ste. Marie has been charged with fraud, theft and drug offences after an almost 10-month investigation.

Charges were laid Aug. 7 in an investigation that began Oct. 26, 2023, after police received a request from the health-care facility where the accused worked.

The facility was not named in the news release from Sault police.

“The investigation revealed the accused had fraudulently accessed personal information of 57 patients to dispense controlled substances while employed at a local health-care facility,” police said.

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“Detectives investigated further and discovered the accused had fraudulently dispensed and took possession of one Percocet tablet, two diazepam injections, three lorazepam injections, two OxyContin tablets, six Supeudol tablets, four Statex tablets and 696 Dilaudid injections between June and October of 2023.”

The suspect surrendered themselves to police Wednesday afternoon and was charged with fraud under $5,000, theft under $5,000, six counts of drug possession and one count of drug trafficking.

The accused was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 21.