Jacqueline Brewster, a 54-year-old nurse from Belfry, Kentucky, has pleaded guilty to charges related to an opioid diversion scheme. The plea was entered on December 11, 2024, in Beckley, West Virginia. Brewster admitted to obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and wrongfully disclosing individually identifiable health information.
Court documents reveal that Brewster accessed patient health information at Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley while employed as a travel nurse from September 2021 to February 2022. She used this access to divert hydromorphone, an opioid, for personal use.
Brewster's method involved using her biometrics to access automated dispensing machines at the hospital. She initiated transactions under the guise of obtaining medication for patients but instead siphoned off hydromorphone from vials. To conceal her actions, she diluted the remaining drug with another substance and returned the altered vial to the machine.
The court heard that Brewster's fraudulent activities included accessing health information unlawfully and obtaining hydromorphone on February 1, 2022. She acknowledged conducting similar diversions multiple times during her tenure at the hospital without legitimate medical reasons.
Brewster is scheduled for sentencing on April 4, 2025. She faces up to 14 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson praised the investigative efforts of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration–Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office and detectives from both West Virginia State Police and Kentucky State Police.
The case falls within a broader nationwide law enforcement initiative targeting healthcare fraud and controlled substance abuse schemes. This operation led to charges against 193 defendants linked to over $2.75 billion in alleged false billings and resulted in significant asset seizures.
The hearing was overseen by United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn with Assistant United States Attorney Owen Reynolds prosecuting.
Further details can be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia or through PACER under Case No. 5:24-cr-104.