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Former Memorial Hospital Of Texas County Employee Facing Embezzlement Charges

KSCB News - June 15, 2009 12:00 am

A former hospital employee is facing embezzlement charges after she allegedly stole various medications while claiming to be suicidal.

Kimberly D. Barnett, 43, of Meade , an employee of the Memorial Hospital of Texas County, was arrested on Thursday, June 11 on one count of embezzlement stemming from an incident that occurred at the hospital on June 7.

According to a report in the Guymon Daily Herald, a Guymon police officer was dispatched to the hospital after Barnett allegedly stole medication prior to going off duty. Nurses also advised the officer that Barnett was suicidal after making several comments before leaving.

According to the affidavit for probable cause filed at the Texas County Court Clerk’s Office, the medication was found missing by an EMT who reportedly found two drawers unsecured on the emergency room “crash cart.”. Surveillance footage was later viewed by the hospital CNO John Jones who reported to GPD he saw Barnett taking items from the E.R. crash cart.

Because Barnett’s residence is in Meade, Kansas, the officer then made contact with a detective at the Meade Co. Sheriff’s Office.

The detective then got in contact with Barnett and she allegedly agreed she would meet him at her residence with the stolen items to be returned.

According to Deputy Brown with the Seward Co.Sherrif’s Office, Barnett was then involved in an accident. She was transported to the hospital to draw blood. She was then placed in the ICU for a mental health evaluation.

Her vehicle remained locked up and secured in the Seward Co. Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Brown then confirmed that the items in the driver and passenger floorboard were consistent with the items allegedly stolen from the Memorial Hospital of Texas County. In Seward Co., she was charged with a DUID (Driving Under the Influence of Drugs), no seatbelt, no insurance, and disobeying a stop sign.

The items stolen were estimated at $1373. Barnett was later taken into custody by the Texas County Sheriff’s Department and later released on a $20,000 bail.

 

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