Minnesota nurse pleads guilty in federal court to stealing pain meds from hospice clinic

Duluth News-Tribune (MN)

Jan. 9—BAXTER — A registered nurse pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining prescription opioid pain medications from a hospice clinic, United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced Tuesday, Jan. 9.

According to court documents, between Nov. 17, 2020, and November 25, 2022, Cambie Elizabeth Broker, 33, was a registered nurse case manager at a hospice clinic in Baxter. Broker used her position to fraudulently obtain controlled substances from the clinic. Broker entered false prescription requests into the clinic's e-prescribing software to fraudulently obtain oxycodone, hydromorphone, and fentanyl for illegal sale and personal use. In total, Broker wrongfully acquired at least 19,500 oxycodone pills, 230 hydromorphone pills, and 51 fentanyl patches.

Broker pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel to one count of fraudulently obtaining oxycodone, hydromorphone and fentanyl. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M. Endicott is prosecuting the case.

Broker also faces six felony charges in Crow Wing County

related to the theft of prescription medications. She was charged Nov. 30, 2022, in Crow Wing County District Court with five counts of felony theft and one count of felony fourth-degree possession of drugs.

According to the complaint filed against Broker in Crow Wing County, on Nov. 28, 2022, the Brainerd Police Department was contacted by the manager of clinical services of the hospice clinic about allegations of an employee stealing prescription medication. A pharmacist contacted the clinic over concerns about several oxycodone prescriptions picked up by Broker and not being delivered to hospice patients.

In its own investigation, the clinic found there were five hospice patients for whom Broker had filled and picked up oxycodone prescriptions. When the hospice manager met with Broker, she admitted she had been stealing and selling the medications, according to the complaint.

A list of prescriptions for the five patients was provided to Brainerd Police and showed that between Oct. 12, 2022, and Nov. 25, 2022, 14 prescriptions totaling 1,824 oxycodone tablets were picked up by Broker and not delivered to the patients.

Broker was arrested on Nov. 28, 2022, after police responded to a driving complaint on Lum Park Road. Officers identified Broker and found a bag containing at least one medication on the passenger seat and several empty oxycodone prescription bottles prescribed to several other patients.

In a statement to police, Broker admitted to stealing numerous prescription medications of oxycodone prescribed to hospice patients, that she had been doing this for about two to three months because she needed the money, and that she was selling them for $25 per tablet, according to the complaint.

Broker's next court appearance on those charges is a plea hearing Feb. 20 in Crow Wing County District Court.

___

Visit the Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, Minn.) at www.duluthnewstribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.