SAUGUS, MASS. (WHDH) - A Saugus woman accused of stealing prescription pain pills from an elderly man she was supposed to be taking care of faced a judge Thursday, officials say.
Rebecca Bowman, 37, was arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court on charges of larceny of a drug, caretaker abuse, and possession of a Class B substance in connection with an alleged theft of prescription medication from an elderly man in her care, according to a press release issued Thursday by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.
Officials say Bowman began working as a visiting nurse in December 2016 for a 70-year-old man in Lincoln, who was prescribed Oxycodone pills to alleviate his pain. In April 2017, the man noticed some of his pills had disappeared, and as a result, he experienced “extreme pain,” according to the release.
On two occasions in December 2017, following Bowman’s visits to the home, the man counted his pills before she arrived and after she left and he discovered that after the defendant, left some of his prescription pills were gone, officials say.
Police set up a surveillance camera on Jan. 3, 2018, in the victim’s room and counted the number of pills in the victim’s possession prior to the defendant’s visit. After Bowman left, police allegedly discovered that 14 of the victim’s prescription pills were missing. Video surveillance allegedly showed the defendant opening the pill bottle and removing the medication while the victim was not in the room.
Bowman, who was released on personal recognizance, returns to court Sept. 20.
She was ordered to not work with the elderly and to stay away from, and have no contact with, the victim.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)