An Oklahoma County Jail nurse with access to prescription medications was arrested on numerous drug complaints after the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) received a tip. According to news reports, the tip came from a disgruntled former boyfriend.
Candice Deann Carter, 32, was a former "Employee of the Month" at the Oklahoma County Jail, and the tipster reported that a bathroom in her home had a package of synthetic urine sitting beside her Employee of the Month parking pass.
The man reported that he discovered drug paraphernalia, including used syringes, and drugs including hydromorphone and morphine when he was cleaning a bathroom in the woman's home. He also told police that Carter had previously been fired from a hospital in Arkansas after allegedly stealing drugs.
Drug agents say that at this point in the investigation, they are unsure whether the woman stole drugs from the jail and whether she was using or selling the prescription medications allegedly found in her home. Whether or not the nurse stole drugs from the Oklahoma County Jail, says OBN spokesman Mark Woodward, it "certainly is concerning that somebody with drug related issues would be in the position to have access to them,”
As of this writing, Carter has not been formally charged, and agents say the investigation is ongoing.
In Oklahoma, the penalties for simple drug possession vary depending on the type of drug in question. Hydromorphone, for example, is a Schedule II drug, and possession of a Schedule I or II drug without a valid prescription is a felony punishable by 4 to 20 years in prison. Possession of a Schedule I or II narcotic with intent to distribute is a felony punishable by 5 years to life in prison.
Simple possession of marijuana, although it is a Schedule I drug, is penalized along with possession of Schedule III or IV drugs. As a first offense, it is a misdemeanor punishable by a year in jail. As a second offense, however, it is a felony punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison.
Possession of drug paraphernalia, such as syringes used for injecting drugs, is a misdemeanor. Conviction brings a maximum of one year in county jail.
If it is determined that Carter was using her position as a jail nurse to access and steal prescription medications for personal use or resale, she will likely face additional charges, which may include larceny or embezzlement. Depending on the value of any misappropriated property, she would face additional misdemeanor or felony charges.
