MONROE, La. (KTVE/KARD) — A former Hospice nurse from Oak Grove, Louisiana has been arrested after he allegedly stole pain medications from four of his patients.
43-year-old Michael Boals was arrested on April 26, 2021, and booked into the Ouachita Correctional Center on the following charges:
- Theft (10 counts)
- Obtaining CDS by Fraud (10 counts)
- Possession of CDS II (10 counts)
- Cruelty to the Infirmed (10 counts)
According to court documents, the investigation began on February 8, 2021, when the Oak Grove Police Department received information that the West Carroll Memorial Hospital found evidence of controlled substances being taken from the secure narcotics room in the hospital.
Law enforcement was given the results of an internal investigation by the hospital staff. In those results, they received a list of nurses who had access to the secure narcotic room. Officials began interviewing the nurses on that list.
During the investigation, law enforcement learned that Boals was employed at Elara Caring Hospice in Monroe and that he was under investigation for the “diversion of controlled substances from July 2019 to August 2019.”
When looking into Boals’ employment at Elara Caring Hospice, law enforcement found a complaint filed with the Louisiana State Board of Nursing stating there were 9 documented incidents between July 8, 2019, and August 26, 2019, where Boals picked up patients’ prescriptions from Aron’s Pharmacy in Monroe and never delivered the prescriptions to the patients.
Investigators note that they confirmed all of the medication in question was picked up from Aron’s Pharmacy by Boals. They also note that Boals had no intention of delivering the medicine to the patients.
Boals is currently being held at the Ouachita Correctional Center on $775,000 bond.