Medford, NY - May 20, 2015 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the arrest of Nicholle Gaveglia, a licensed practical nurse who was employed at the Medford Multicare Center for Living in Medford, N.Y., for allegedly claiming to have administered multiple prescribed Percocet tablets to a Medford resident when she did not actually do so. Gaveglia, 32, of Centereach, N.Y., allegedly kept the tablets for her own unauthorized use.

“All nursing home employees have a solemn responsibility to properly care for their patients, including ensuring that they receive prescribed medications,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “The falsification of medical records and theft of drugs – especially dangerous and addictive prescription narcotics – will not be tolerated by my office.”

Gaveglia has been a licensed practical nurse since 2005. According to the Attorney General’s felony complaint, from June 9, 2014 to July 27, 2014, while working as a medication nurse and caring for nursing home residents at Medford, Gaveglia allegedly falsely recorded in a resident’s medical records that she administered multiple prescribed Percocet tablets to the resident when she did not actually do so. Gaveglia allegedly later admitted to falsifying the records to cover up her theft and illegal possession of the drugs.

Gaveglia is charged with Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class E felony; Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree and Petit Larceny, both of which are class A misdemeanors. Gaveglia was arraigned before Judge Pierce Cohalon in First District Court in Central Islip. The case was adjourned for a conference on July 15, 2015 in the same court.

The charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General James P. Clarke of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit’s Hauppauge Regional Office. Jane Zwirn-Turkin is the Regional Director of the MFCU Hauppauge Office. Acting Director Amy Held leads the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Executive Deputy Attorney General Kelly Donovan leads the Criminal Division.

The case was investigated by Special Investigators John Tarpey and Stephen Clarke with assistance from Special Auditor Investigator Jin Tae Kim, Supervising Investigator Greg Muroff and Deputy Chief of Downstate Investigations Kenneth Morgan.