Naperville nurse charged in painkiller thefts
A former nurse at a Naperville assisted-living facility is accused of stealing painkillers meant for patients, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Kathryn J. Swaim, 31, of the 1000 block of Celebration Drive, Aurora, was indicted Tuesday in DuPage County on felony charges of burglary and unlawful possession and unlawful acquisition of a controlled substance.
The eight-count complaint alleges Swaim stole prescription painkillers such as hydrocodone and hydromorphone on at least three occasions in January and February from Sunrise of Naperville North, 535 W. Ogden Ave. She also is accused of taking zolpidem, a drug commonly used to treat insomnia and brain disorders. Officials said they are still trying to determine the quantity of drugs that were stolen.
Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Fisher said authorities launched an investigation after the nursing facility inventoried its medication stock and uncovered discrepancies.
“Things started to not make sense,” he said. “Some patients indicated they were not getting their medication.”
Swaim, who was arrested on preliminary charges in March, later admitted to investigators that she stole the pills and wrote them off as damaged, according to Fisher.
Court records show Swaim also faces felony charges in Kane County of unlawful possession of a controlled substance and obtaining a substance by fraud stemming from a Feb. 22 complaint in Aurora.
Aurora Detective Sgt. Robb Wallers said Swaim stole morphine, Valium and other narcotic substances while working for Ridge Ambulance Service in Aurora.
The thefts came to light, he said, when Swaim injected an elderly man who was suffering from severe back pain with saline solution rather than morphine and Valium during a ride to a hospital. He said the ambulance company contacted police after hospital staff grew suspicious of the patient’s alertness and ran toxicology tests on him.
“When she was questioned, she said she had a back injury and was taking these narcotics to deal with her back pain,” Wallers said. “She confessed and took full responsibility.” Swaim’s attorney, Victor Puscas, said he was still awaiting discovery materials and had no immediate comment.
Representatives of Sunrise of Naperville North and Ridge Ambulance could not immediately be reached for comment. Naperville police Comdr. Mike Anders said reports indicated Swaim no longer works at the nursing facility, which provides assisted living and Alzheimer’s care, among other services, according to its website. She also no longer works for the ambulance company.
The most serious charge against Swaim, who is free on a combined $3,000 bond, is a Class 2 felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. She is due in court April 20 in Kane and April 26 in DuPage.