Posted at: 11/04/2009 8:58 PM | KSAX.com
By: Becky Nahm
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St. Paul Woman Accused of Lying to Get Drugs from Hospital

A St. Paul woman could face time in prison after police say she lied her way into getting medicine from a hospital.

Kathleen Staples, 45, is charged with theft by swindle.

According to the criminal complain, she went to the emergency room at Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville Sunday night and claimed she had back and was suffering neck and chest pain.

Investigators say doctors treated her. They conducted X-rays and possibly a CT scan. They provided her with morphine and ativan. The treatments cost more than $3,000.

The Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said obtaining the narcotics was her main goal.

Backstrom said, "After the X-rays were done, she basically pulled the IV out of her arm and started to leave the hospital. A nurse delayed her long enough until the police were called."

Backstrom said Staples used a fake name. She claimed she did so because she was a battered woman and didn't want her husband to find her.

Authorities are skeptical of that story. Backstrom said Staples has been convicted 15 times since 1995 for crimes like using a false name and felony drug possession.

Authorities are investigating whether Staples may have pulled off a similar con at three other hospitals in October.