Providence Nurse Charged in Oxycodone Tampering Scheme

Charlotte Demers, 35, of Providence, R.I., is facing federal charges after allegedly stealing oxycodone pills from a Massachusetts nursing home and replacing them with fake medication to cover her tracks. The licensed practical nurse worked at Countryside Health Care in Milford, where she systematically tampered with blister-packed prescription drugs meant for elderly residents.

Dopers was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Boston on one count of tampering with a consumer product—specifically, the Schedule II controlled substance oxycodone. Authorities say the crime occurred between Sept. 12, 2016, and Oct. 8, 2016, during which Demers removed oxycodone tablets from sealed blister packs, substituted them with another medication, and resealed the packaging to avoid detection.

The scheme unraveled when facility staff noticed discrepancies in medication logs and packaging integrity. Investigators from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, along with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, launched a probe that led directly to Demers. She was taken into federal custody and later released under court-imposed conditions following an appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler.

If convicted, Demers faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. While federal sentences often fall below the statutory maximum, the charges underscore the severity of tampering with prescription medications—especially when vulnerable patients are unknowingly denied their prescribed treatment.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, FDA Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Ebersole, and Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD, MPH, jointly announced the charges. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle L. Dineen Jerrett of Ortiz’s Worcester Branch Office.

The complaint remains an allegation. Charlotte Demers is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The investigation is ongoing.