Four VA Medical Center employees accused of illegal drug activity



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Four employees at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center (VAMC) are facing charges after they allegedly gave, sold or received narcotic drugs on VAMC property.

38-year-old licensed practical nurse Jermaine Cohill and 27-year-old certified nursing assistant Alicia Ojeda are each facing one count of possession of narcotic drugs.

35-year-old certified nursing assistant Ryan Driscoll is facing one count of prescription drugs - delivery/possession/manufacture.

46-year-old certified nursing assistant Yvette Wright is facing two counts of delivery of a controlled substance.

According to the criminal complaint, a certified nursing assistant working at Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center told police on December 11th that she observed four incidents in which medical employees, later identified as Cohill, Ojeda and Wright, pass medication between each other.

During an investigation into this conduct, police identified a fourth individual, later identified as Driscoll, who was also involved in the exchange of pills.

According to the criminal complaint, Wright told police she sold Oxycodone, which was prescribed by her personal physician, to Driscoll on four separate occasions within the past year. Two of those sales occurred on VAMC property.

Wright also told police she gave Ojeda Percocet pills on VAMC property approximately six times in the past two years -- with the last occurrence being between November and December 2013.

The complaint indicates that Wright gets approximately 120 pills prescribed to her every month and generally gives away or sells ten of them -- allegedly selling a single pain-killer for $5.

According to the criminal complaint, Cohill told police that he also received Percocet pills from Wright on four separate occasions and ingested them while on VAMC property. On four other occasions, Cohill told police he received Tramadol pills from Driscoll while on the VAMC property.

Cohill estimates that he received 10-15 pills from Driscoll --which he added to his own bottle of prescribed Tramadol.

The complaint indicates that Wright also gave Ojeda Hydrocodone approximately 12 times in the last year while on VAMC property. Ojeda told police she ingested the pills  either on VAMC property or at home.

Ojeda also told police that she received Lorazepam from Cohill after she observed him ingest a pill while working.

According to the criminal complaint, Driscoll told police he had given, but never sold, his prescribed Tramadol to Cohill. Driscoll also admitted to receiving Vicodin from Wright.

The complaint indicates that Driscoll gave seven to eight Tramadol pills to Cohill over the last eight months while on VAMC property.

Percocet is a brand name for a drug containing Oxycodone/Acetaminophen and is a Schedule II narcotic drug. Tramadol is a non-controlled substance, but is available only by prescription.

If convicted on all counts, Wright could face up to 30 years in prison, Ojeda and Cohill could each face up to three years and six months in prison and Driscoll could face six years in prison.

A spokesperson for the VAMC says the incidents never involved patients or veteran's medications. He declined to comment on the nurses' employment status.

There is no word yet on when the four suspects will appear in court, but none of them are currently in custody.