BECKLEY, W.Va. — In a stunning blow to the healthcare industry’s integrity, 55-year-old Jacqueline Brewster of Belfry, Kentucky, was sentenced on Thursday, July 3, 2025, to five years in prison for her sinister scheme to steal potent opioids from Raleigh General Hospital.
Brewster, who worked as a travel nurse at the hospital from September 2021 until February 2022, admitted she accessed and used patients’ individually identifiable health information to divert hydromorphone for personal use. Her deceitful acts spanned from September 17, 2021, through February 1, 2022.
The despicable diversion scheme involved Brewster using her personal biometrics to access the hospital’s automated controlled substance dispensing machines and siphoning off hydromorphone before canceling transactions to hide her theft. She then diluted the remaining drug in the vial to mask her pilferage.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston emphasized the importance of preserving the healthcare system, stating that such diversions pose significant risks to patients. The FDA-OCI and state police detectives played pivotal roles in the investigation.
Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Brewster to two consecutive terms: five years for obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and three years for wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information. Brewster’s license to practice nursing in West Virginia has been indefinitely suspended by the state board.
Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Boggess and Owen Reynolds successfully prosecuted the case. For more details, visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office website and PACER for Case No. 5:24-cr-104.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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