FRANKLIN, Pa. (EYT) — A former Caring Place employee accused of theft of a patient’s pain medication faces a hearing on Wednesday.

Court documents indicate 29-year-old Jenny Lynn McCartney, of Hadley, Pa., is scheduled to stand for a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 22, in Venango County Central Court with Magisterial District Judge Matthew T. Kirtland presiding.

She faces the following charges:

– Acquire Or Obtain Possession Of Controlled Substance Misrepresented, Felony
– Possession of Controlled Substance, Misdemeanor
– Forgery — Alter Writing, Misdemeanor 1 (five counts)
– Forgery — Unauthorized Act In Writing, Misdemeanor 1 (five counts)
– Theft By Unlawful Taking-Movable Property, Misdemeanor 3

She is currently free on $10,000.00 unsecured bail.

The charges stem from an investigation into the theft of medications from The Caring Place nursing facility in Franklin.

Details of the case:

According to a criminal complaint, on November 5, Agent Johnson, a narcotics agent for the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, received information from Lieutenant Gindhart, of the City of Franklin Police Department, reporting an incident involving theft of controlled substance medications.

The complaint notes the incident was reported to have occurred at The Caring Place nursing facility located on North 13th Street in Franklin and involved a Caring Place employee, Jenny McCartney.

Lieutenant Gindhart requested assistance from the Office of Attorney General with the ongoing investigation.

Agent Johnson spoke to an administrator at The Caring Place on December 4 who reported McCartney was an employee of the facility who worked as a personal care aide and was also authorized to administrate medications. McCartney was reported to have worked a day shift, from 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., on Friday, November 1, and had allegedly signed out three Percocet tablets, a schedule II controlled substance, noted as administered during her shift. The Percocet signed out was prescribed by a doctor to a known patient at the facility who was recovering from a surgery, and was described as “alert, not entirely care dependent, and has no mental limitations.”

According to the complaint, the administrator reported that on November 1, the known night shift aide noticed Percocet pills were missing from the medication cart which is secured by a lock assessed by a key in possession of the assigned nurse or care aide. The night shift aide reported the known patient’s Percocet medication was missing. The aide, who worked the prior night shift, remembered the Percocet medication count to be 30 and observed the current count was only 22, noting eight Percocet tablets were missing within a 24-hour period, when the Percocet prescription issued to the patient was for only three tablets to be issued on an as-needed basis. The night shift aide also reported her name on the administration cart inventory sign out sheet was not her signature and reported her signature was forged.

The complaint notes the administrator reported four other employees also reported their names were also forged on the medication inventory sheet. The four known employees also provided written statements to the administrators regarding the forgeries.

The administrator reported the patient’s Percocet medication was filled and packaged by a medication supply pharmacy located in Apollo, Pa, and said after reviewing the patient’s medical charting reported, she noted the patient had not requested pain medication after the first fifteen tablets following the medical procedure, indicating the patient had not recently requested pain medication. The administrator reported three medication cards were provided, however, the medication inventory count sheets were missing. The administrator also reported 30 Percocet tablets, contained within blister pack cards, were received on September 10, October 7, and October 27.

According to the complaint, the administrator reported no medications on the medication administration report dated October 1 to October 8 were administered to the patient, and reported the patient also confirmed she did not request or receive any of the pain medication in question. The administrator also reported the September 2019 narcotic inventory sheet was also missing.

The complaint notes the patient in question resided at the facility on the same floor where McCartney was assigned to work, and McCartney was reported to have been assigned to the narcotic medication cart that contained the patient’s Percocet medication. The administrator reported that on November 2, she came in early to discuss the situation with McCartney, who was originally scheduled to work, but McCartney allegedly did not show up for work, or call off. The administrator reported that she attempted to call McCartney several times with no answer and said McCartney later left her a voice message indicating she was quitting her job.

Agent Johnson spoke with McCartney on December 13.

According to the complaint, McCartney began the conversation reporting she did not have any knowledge of the missing Percocet medications, but later admitted to taking the medications.

McCartney allegedly stated she took a couple of them and “that is all there is to it.”

The complaint stated McCartney first said she took approximately five pills but later said she “honestly couldn’t remember” exactly how many she took. She allegedly stated she took the pills a few days before she quit, possibly the Thursday or Friday prior, and also admitted to altering the inventory sheets. She reported removing the accurate inventory sheet, getting a blank form, and filling it out while forging other individuals’ names, indicating they signed off as administering the medications to the patient. She allegedly said she threw the accurate inventory sheets in the dumpster when she took out the garbage.

According to the complaint, she reported she took the pills, placed them into a dollar bill, and put them in her pocket, and later consumed the medications.

McCartney was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Matthew T. Kirtland at 10:01 a.m. on Monday, December 30.