Charges dropped against nurse accused of using dead patient’s name to get narcotics

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) -A judge dropped charges against a woman accused of using a dead man’s name in an attempt to get narcotics.

A Second Judicial Circuit judge signed an order of nolle prosequi Thursday, Aug. 21, in the case against Caitlin Carol Adams.

Prosecuting Attorney Sonia Hagood stated in the order that it was “in the interest of justice that this offense be nolle prossed.”

In January, Craighead County District Court Judge Tommy Fowler found probable cause to charge Adams with three counts of fraud or deceit to procure a narcotic drug-forged prescription.

Adams, who is a licensed registered nurse according to the Arkansas State Board of Nursing, was accused of using a fake prescription to get 120 oxycodone pills at a Jonesboro pharmacy on Jan. 2.

According to the affidavit, Adams claimed she worked at a nursing home, and the pills were for a patient. Investigators said Adams used a credit card with her name on it to buy the narcotics.

“After looking into the prescription, an employee of the pharmacy contacted the nursing home in question, and they stated that Caitlin Adams was fired on Jan. 1,” the affidavit stated.

Police said Adams returned to the same pharmacy on Jan. 6 with another prescription for 180 oxycodone pills.

“The prescription was under a male’s name, who was later learned to have been a patient from the same nursing home that Adams previously worked,” the court documents stated. “It should be noted that the individual whose name was on this prescription had been deceased since Dec. 30, 2024.”

The pharmacy refused to fill the prescription.

According to Detective Logan Butler, Adams went to another Jonesboro pharmacy and purchased 180 oxycodone pills under the dead man’s name.

Police arrested Adams on Jan. 24.

According to the State Board of Nursing website, Adams voluntarily surrendered her nursing license on Jan. 30.

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