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Nurse sentenced in oxycodone pill scheme

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a hospice nurse has been sentenced to three years in prison for fraudulently obtaining and selling oxycodone.
Desiree Ulibarri, of Albuquerque, was sentenced Thursday on conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, an opioid, and conspiracy to acquire and obtain it by fraud and deceit.
The 32-year-old is accused of recommending oxycodone prescriptions for patients who did not need them. She also is accused of selling the pills after arranging to have them picked up at a courier site rather than delivered to patients.
Authorities say DEA agents seized 80 pills from her in 2016, while their review of records for missing packages found a total of 3,870 pills were diverted in the scheme.
Another nurse charged on similar counts has entered a guilty plea in the case. She has not yet been sentenced.