A.G. Schneiderman Announces Guilty Plea Of Nurse For Stealing Narcotics From Elderly Nursing Home Residents

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman recently announced the guilty plea of Lisa Rumsmoke Clark, age 45, a Licensed Practical Nurse from Watkins Glen, for diverting nearly 200 narcotic pills from elderly patients residing at Elcor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Horseheads.

“Nurses are responsible for providing comfort and care to their patients, not stealing narcotics from those who need them for pain relief,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “My office will continue fighting to protect vulnerable senior citizens and hold medical professionals who exploit them accountable.”

An investigation launched by Attorney General Schneiderman’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Department of Health’s Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement (BNE) revealed that over a roughly one month period of time, Lisa Rumsmoke Clark completed several records within which she indicated that she administered narcotic drugs to eight separate residents, while actually diverting those drugs for her own personal use.

Rumsmoke Clark pled guilty to Petit Larceny before Horseheads Town Court Justice Craig Banfield and was sentenced to sixty (60) days of straight time in the Chemung County Jail and three years of probation.

The case was investigated by Special Investigator David Giudici with assistance from MFCU Deputy Chief Investigator William Falk, and BNE Senior Investigator Timothy Dewey. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Sommers. Catherine Wagner is Director of the Rochester Regional MFCU Office and the Upstate Chief of Criminal Investigations. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is led by Acting Director Amy Held and Assistant Deputy Attorney General Paul J. Mahoney. The Division of Criminal Justice is led by Executive Deputy Attorney General Kelly Donovan.