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The former director of nursing at an Alabama nursing home was arrested last Thursday on charges that she allegedly stole 1,800 hydrocodone pills from the facility.

Marie White Tucker was charged with second-degree theft. She is accused of taking hydrocodone pills from North Hill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Birmingham that had been discontinued and were meant to be destroyed. The missing pills were discovered during an audit at the nursing home, according to the Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange’s office. Tucker also allegedly attempted to hide the theft by manipulating and hiding the required medication logs.

“All residents received their treatments and medications as ordered and did not have any adverse consequences.  
We have a system of checks and balances, and our system worked,” North Hill Executive Director Donna Guthrie told McKnight’s. “A ‘bad apple’ was found and the proper authorities were contacted who then carried this matter forward.”

If convicted, Tucker faces a possible sentence of up to 10 years in jail. The theft was automatically classified as second-degree theft, since hydrocodone is a controlled substance, according to Strange’s office.