Former VA Nurse Pleads Guilty To Stealing Pain Medication

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051

Buffalo, N.Y. – Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Dorothy Sellari, 61, of Williamsville, NY, pleaded guilty to theft of government property before U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Cullinane, who is handling the case, stated that on July 10, 2015, the defendant was employed as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Buffalo. Sellari unlawfully took, for her own use, a dose of hydromorphone (Dilaudid) prescribed for a patient. A VA Inspector General’s investigation determined that the defendant had previously taken and used “waste” amounts of medication prescribed for VA patients.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of Donna L. Neves.

Sentencing is scheduled for February 5, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Arcara.