Attorney General Steve Marshall has announced the conviction of Dozier Micah Blanks, a former nurse from Birmingham, for stealing opioid tablets from his workplace. Blanks, aged 39, was employed at a nursing home in the Birmingham area where he distributed medication to residents.
In July 2024, missing hydrocodone tablets were discovered by another nurse. Following an internal investigation by the facility, Blanks was terminated from his position. The case was referred to the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit by the Alabama Department of Public Health. Agents found discrepancies involving over 100 hydrocodone tablets over approximately two months and obtained a warrant for Blanks' arrest.
Blanks pled guilty to Theft of Property in the Second Degree, classified as a Class C felony. Judge William A. Bell Jr. sentenced him to a 15-month suspended sentence according to Alabama Sentencing Guidelines.
Attorney General Marshall expressed gratitude towards the agents involved in investigating the case and Assistant Attorney General Nathan W. Mays who prosecuted it. He stated: “Stealing medication intended for vulnerable patients is a serious betrayal of trust, and my office will not tolerate it. This conviction sends a clear message that those who exploit their positions to divert opioids for personal use will be held accountable."
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit operates under the Alabama Attorney General’s Office and receives substantial funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.