Hinsdale nurse pleads guilty in painkiller thefts

A Hinsdale woman was sentenced to probation and community service after admitting Thursday to stealing painkillers from a Westmont nursing facility while working there as a registered nurse.

Pamela Standley-Liesz, 58, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a controlled substance in exchange for 30 hours of community service and two years of probation, according to an agreement with prosecutors.

Standley-Liesz was arrested last summer on charges she stole between 150 and 360 pills containing the painkiller hydrocodone while employed at ManorCare Health Services, 512 E. Ogden Avenue in Westmont. The facility offers 24-hour nursing care, physical therapy, and hospice, among other services, according to its website.

Assistant DuPage County State's Attorney Shanti Kulkarni said Standley-Liesz stole unused prescriptions that were scheduled to be destroyed. An investigation was opened after the medication turned up missing, along with related medical records. Standley-Liesz later admitted taking the pills for personal use, Kulkarni said in court.

Standley-Liesz, who had no prior criminal history, was sentenced to a special form probation that will allow her felony conviction to be expunged if she successfully completes all conditions, Judge Daniel Guerin said. She could have faced up to three years in prison if convicted at trial.