Amy Shultz Allegedly Diverted Over 70 Pills from Patients at Irondequoit Facility
Schneiderman: My Office Will Continue Working to Hold Medical Professionals Who Fail to Provide Proper Care to Their Patients Accountable
ROCHESTER – Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the arrest and arraignment of Amy Shultz, 35, a Registered Nurse from Hamlin, on charges that she allegedly diverted nearly 73 narcotic pills from elderly patients residing at St Ann’s Home in Irondequoit.
“Those who place their loved ones in a nursing facility deserve the peace of mind of knowing that they are receiving quality services and proper medication from the nurses entrusted with their care,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “When patients are denied medications by those who steal them for personal use, the patients suffer and the cycle of addiction continues. My office will continue working to hold medical professionals who fail to provide proper care to their patients accountable.”
An investigation launched by Attorney General Schneiderman’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the New York State Department of Health’s Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement (BNE) revealed that over a three week period of time, Amy Shultz allegedly falsified facility records by indicating that she administered narcotic drugs to seven separate residents, when she allegedly diverted those drugs for her own personal use. In one case alone, Shultz is accused of stealing 23 Hydromorphone pills from a resident and falsifying the records to cover up the theft.
Shultz was arraigned before The Honorable Joseph Genier in the Town Court of Irondequoit and was charged with four counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree (E Felony), and eight counts of Petit Larceny (A Misdemeanor), The E Felony charges carry a potential sentence of one and one third to three years in state prison. The case was adjourned to October 13th.
The case was investigated by Investigators David Giudici and Jason Rice with assistance from MFCU Deputy Chief Investigator William Falk, and BNE Investigator Kristine Wiant-Sherman. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Timothy McFarland. Catherine Wagner is Director of the Rochester Regional MFCU Office and the Upstate Chief of Criminal Investigations. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is led by Acting Director Amy Held. The Division of Criminal Justice is led by Executive Deputy Attorney General Kelly Donovan.
The Attorney General’s Office thanks the New York State Department of Health’s BNE Unit for their invaluable assistance on this case.
The charges against the defendant are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.