CHARLESTON, W.Va. (U.S. Attorney’s Office) – Jacqueline Brewster, 54, of Belfry, Kentucky, has pleaded guilty to charges of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia announced today.
Brewster, a former travel nurse at Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley, West Virginia, was found to have diverted hydromorphone, a potent opioid, during her employment from September 2021 to February 2022.
According to court documents, Brewster exploited her access to automated controlled substance dispensing machines at the hospital, using her personal biometrics to gain entry. She then checked out hydromorphone under the pretense of administering it to a patient but would siphon a portion of the drug, diluting the remaining liquid and replacing it in the vial to avoid detection.
To cover up her actions, Brewster canceled the transactions after diverting the drug. Additionally, she unlawfully accessed patient health information related to the drug diversion. Brewster admitted to diverting the drug multiple times without any legitimate medical purpose.
She is scheduled for sentencing on April 4, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn. Brewster faces up to 14 years in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine.
