Intensive care patient accused of selling thousands of dollars' worth of heroin from hospital bed
A 38-year-old woman staying in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg, Pennsylvania is being accused by the city’s police department of selling heroin from her hospital bed. WTAE Action News 4 reports that there were about a million different reasons why the woman aroused suspicion in the first place.
Greensburg Police Captain Chad Zucco gave multiple reasons why the unnamed suspect was fishy. They include:
She had more visitors than a usual patient would have under the same circumstances.
Those visitors that did come would only stay for a few minutes.
Those visitors didn’t know her last name.
The woman had multiple cellphones that would ring at all hours.
KDKA CBS Pittsburgh reports that security was first informed about the woman’s actions and that they, in turn, contacted the Greensburg Police Department. Greensburg Police set up a surveillance operation and almost immediately learned what was going on: the woman was selling heroin from her hospital bed.
Captain Zucco told WTAE that a confidential informant was, “able to purchase approximately 30 bags of heroin from her. In a subsequent search of her person and her room, they were able to confiscate 380 bags of heroin, approximately $3,800 street value.” KDKA notes they also found drug paraphernalia and more than $1,000 in cash. Both stations indicate that the hospital patient will be officially charged today.
Jennifer Miele, Excela Vice President of Marketing, told WTAE that their locations in Westmoreland County deal with many of those who suffer from drug addiction. Ms. Miele also said, “Not only do we have this incident, but day after day we have patients being treated in all three of our emergency room facilities. People who are overdosing. It's very disturbing.”
