Mission Woman Pleads Guilty To Theft

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Tisha Leader Charge, age 33, of Mission, South Dakota appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on February 8, 2013 and pled guilty to Counts II and III of the Indictment that charged her with Theft in Connection with Health Care and Larceny. In addition to a $25 special assessment on each count, the maximum penalty upon conviction is 1 year of imprisonment, a $100,000 fine, or both; 1 year of supervised release and an additional year of supervised release upon revocation. Restitution may also be imposed.

The charges stem from an incident wherein Leader Charge, on or about the 1st day of January 2012 and the 30th day of September 2012, unlawfully took and carried away with intent to steal and purloin, the personal property of the employees and interns at the Indian Health Hospital in Rosebud, South Dakota. During that time period Leader Charge, who was working at the Bureau of Indian Affairs Indian Health Service Hospital as a pharmacy technician, fraudulently obtained prescription medications from the pharmacy in various ways. Leader Charge would “short” prescriptions by taking a few of the prescribed pills out of the bottle before giving the bottle to the patients. Leader Charge also took prescribed medications that a patient did not pick up and she was supposed to restock. Leader Charge would enter the medications in the computer system as being restocked. Leader Charge admitted to giving some of the medications she stole to other people. She also admitted to stealing money out of co-employees’ belongings in the breakroom. The total amount of money stolen was under $1,000.

The investigation was conducted by the Office of the Inspector General and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich is prosecuting the case. Leader Charge was released on bond pending sentencing which has been set for April 9, 2013.