Deferred prosecution for Streamwood nurse charged with taking pills from patients

A Streamwood nurse charged with possession of a controlled substance has been admitted to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office deferred prosecution program, which is available to first-time offenders charged with nonviolent crimes.

Delores Gigliello, 58, was charged with the Class 4 felony last month after prosecutors say she kept for herself 690 hydrocodone pills (also known as Norco) prescribed for the residents of Clare Oaks, a Bartlett retirement and assisted living community where she worked.

Prosecutors did not say at Gigliello’s bond hearing last month if she took the pills from just one patient or several. They did say that she took the pills over a nine-month period. A review of patient charts alerted personnel to the missing pills, prosecutors said. A Clare Oaks official said that no resident “was at any risk of harm” and no patient suffered any setbacks as a result of Gigliello’s actions.

Operated in cooperation with the Circuit Court and the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, the deferred prosecution program allows defendants who follow its guidelines to avoid a felony conviction.

Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez called the program a “second chance” when she announced its implementation last spring.

Under the terms of the 12-month program, defendants must have a job or perform community service. They must participate in any mandated drug or alcohol treatment and provide restitution if warranted, among other requirements.

If Gigliello successfully completes the program, the charges against her will be dismissed, authorities said. She next appears in court on Oct. 19.