Belleville nurse pleads guilty to stealing pain medication from nursing home patients

A Belleville nurse pleaded guilty to five federal charges of stealing drugs from elderly patients at metro-east nursing homes.

According to the indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for Southern Illinois, Angela Mohler, 40, worked as nurse for senior care and nursing facilities in Edwardsville, Belleville, Lebanon, and Caseyville from 2018 to 2021.

She used her position to steal pain medication, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine, for her own use. Then, to cover up her crimes and account for the missing drugs, Mohler would destroy or modify her patients’ records to show she had given them their prescribed medications, the indictment alleged.

Sentencing is scheduled in January. Mohler faces probation to six months in prison, according to federal sentencing guidelines.

According to court records, Mohler admitted to stealing drugs from facilities across St. Clair and Madison counties:

• Colonnade Senior Living in O’Fallon. In March of this year, Mohler stole a card containing 11 hydrocodone pills from a resident and oxycodone from two residents then modified the controlled substance card used to track the number of pills left in order to cover up the fact that pills were missing. She also took liquid morphine from another resident and diluted what was left in the bottle to cover up the theft.
• Collinsville Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center. From Feb. 13, 2021 to Feb. 18, 2021, Mohler stole hydrocodone and oxycodone pills from at least five residents, and hid or destroyed the controlled substance sheets corresponding to the drugs in order to cover up the theft.
• Integrity Healthcare in Alton. On or about Jan. 2, 2021, Mohler stole oxycodone pills that belonged to a resident and hid or destroyed the corresponding controlled substance sheet.
• Elmwood Nursing and Rehab in Maryville. On or about Nov. 9, 2021, Mohler stole six hydrocodone pills that belonged to a resident and hid the original controlled substance record listing that there were 120 tables left and started a new controlled substance record that lsited that there were 114 tablets left. She also asked another nurse to find and destroy the old controlled substance record for her.
• Rosewood Care Center in Edwardsville. In August 2019, Mohler stole hydrocodone pills that belonged to three residents. To cover up the theft and account for the missing drugs, she documented on the controlled substance records that each patient had been given their prescribed hydrocodone.
• Integrity Healthcare in Belleville. On Oct. 29, 2018, Mohler stole at least 15 hyrdocodone pills that belonged to a resident. To cover up the theft, she started a new card of hydrocodone for the resident with a new corresponding count sheet then hid or destroyed the old count sheet for the stolen hydrocodone. On or about Nov. 15, 2018, she stole three additional cards of hydrocodone from residents at the same facility.
• Lebanon Care Center. On Sept. 12, 2018, Mohler stole two oxycodone pills from a resident and taped in two regular acetaminophen pills in their place.
• Caseyville Nursing and Rehabilitation. From Aug. 5, 2018 to Aug. 9, 2018, Mohler stole several hydrocodone pills from two residents, then documented that each had been given their prescribed dosages of hydrocodone.

Several medical professionals were also recently charged with stealing medication from patients. In April, former nurse Krista Brenner was indicted on similar charges for stealing pain medication while working at metro-east senior care facilities in 2019.

In September, another former nurse, Joseph Mattingly, was sentenced on charges of stealing pain medication in 2018 from residents while working at a center for adults with intellectual disabilities.