Eagan nurse charged with stealing drugs

A nurse who was fired last year from an Eagan assisted-living facility has been charged with stealing medications that were supposed to be for residents under her care.

Jessica A. Dumpprope, 38, of Eagan, was charged with two felony counts of theft of a controlled substance by false representation, according to a criminal complaint posted Tuesday by the Dakota County attorney's office.

She's charged with stealing at least 450 tablets of hydrocodone, commonly known as Vicodin, a potentially addictive pain reliever and cough suppressant that can cause a feeling of euphoria.

Dumpprope, a licensed practical nurse (LPN), was one of the employees responsible for ordering prescriptions and distributing them to residents. She allegedly ordered drugs under the names of residents who no longer needed them or those who had died, the complaint says.

In June, after co-workers noticed that she appeared sedated, Dumpprope allegedly admitted to superiors that for about a year, she had been fraudulently obtaining drugs. Police interviewed her in August.

In a separate action, the Minnesota Board of Nursing took civil action against her in February to put limits and special conditions on her license. Her nursing license was suspended, but that suspension has been stayed.

Documents on file with the nursing board say that Dumpprope admitted stealing not only Vicodin but also Xanax and Ativan. She admitted to the board that she had stolen more than 10,000 pills, worth about $5,700, in a year.

She was fired on June 15 and two days later began chemical dependency treatment.

In February, the nursing board fined her $1,000.

Under her stayed sentence, she can practice as an LPN only with limits, including that she must be supervised by a registered nurse and cannot work in any home care setting, assisted-living facility, temporary placement agency or group home. She also must remain sober, participate in a rehabilitation program and attend weekly support group meetings.

Neither the nursing board nor court documents name the Eagan facility.

Joy Powell • 952-882-9017