By Karen Blackledge
DANVILLE -- Charges of illegally possessing narcotics 30 times have been dropped against a former Geisinger Medical Center registered nurse.
She still faces one charge -- failure to keep required records -- and waived her right to a preliminary hearing on the record-tampering charge.
Traci Nicole Lapaglia, 27, of Bloomsburg, who had worked in the special care unit, appeared Monday afternoon before Montour County District Judge Marvin Shrawder.
Lapaglia, who remains free on unsecured bail, was charged by the state attorney general's office and Mahoning Township police with obtaining up to four times the amount of painkillers prescribed to patients, giving patients the appropriate amount and keeping the rest.
Mahoning Township Police Chief David Shope said the charges were dropped according to an agreement between County District Attorney Robert Buehner Jr. and Lapaglia's lawyer, David Noon of Sunbury.
Reached Monday afternoon, Buehner said the charges were dropped after examining all the evidence and witnesses supporting the charges.
Buehner thought they could prove the record-tampering charge "beyond a reasonable doubt." That case won't require any other witnesses outside of Geisinger.
"This still means there will be issues regarding her nursing license with the state board of nurses," Buehner said. "I am working on those as well. She lost her job and has issues with her license and faces a criminal charge."
Buehner said the agreement to drop the charges was reached with law enforcement authorities, the defense attorney and himself.
Noon had no comment on the case.
Lapaglia worked at Geisinger from April 20 through Sept. 12 of 2008. She was charged with illegally possessing drugs eight times between May 14 through Sept. 18 and with illegally possessing controlled substances 22 times from May 14 through June 21.
The drugs included Fentanyl, Percocet, Roxicet and morphine with hydromorphone accounting for 18 of the 22 illegal medications.
The investigation began when a Lewisburg police officer confiscated hydromorphone from the home of a Lewisburg woman who told him she obtained the drug from a licensed practical nurse, who told police she got it from Lapaglia.
E-mail comments to kblackledge@thedanvillenews.com.
