Amanda Gawthrop

WARSAW — A nurse at Kosciusko Community Hospital has been arrested for stealing narcotics she obtained for personal use from the hospital.

Amanda Sue Gawthrop, 26, 712 Boyston Mill Road, North Webster, is being charged with possession of a narcotic drug, a level 6 felony and theft, a class A misdemeanor.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Oct. 13 an officer responded to a theft of medication at the Kosciusko Community Hospital.

An officer spoke with hospital employee, who advised that during a monthly audit, nurse Gawthrop’s medication log drew their attention. On Oct. 11 hospital officials spoke with Gawthrop, who admitted to the theft and use of numerous pain narcotics.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, the hospital employee advised Gawthrop had admitted she had been stealing medication from KCH from six months to one year. The employee explained after Gawthrop admitted to stealing the narcotics, she consented to a drug test and admitted she had taken hydromorphone on Oct. 9, 2016, without a prescription.

On the way to the lab for the drug test, an employee found an empty syringe in Gawthrop’s pocket. Gawthrop admitted she had stolen the hydromorphone with intent to use the drug prior to hospital employees speaking with her. She had disposed of the hydromorphone in a container before the meeting. The drugs she stole during her time as a nurse were Dilaudid, Percocet, morphine and Ultram, all schedule II narcotic drugs. The value of the drugs stolen in during the month of September alone totaled $151.41.

Gawthrop told police she began her employment at KCH in November of 2013. She said she stole the drugs from the hospital dispenser using her personal login and then used the drugs for personal use. She admitted she had stolen narcotic drugs from the hospital more times than she can count.