Nurse Convicted and Sentenced for Criminal Neglect of a Nursing Home Resident

A licensed practical nurse, Claudia L. Campbell, has been sentenced to 180 days in prison, with all but 80 days suspended, for criminal negligence of a nursing home resident in 2006, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor and District of Columbia Inspector General Charles J. Willoughby announced today.

Campbell, 38, of Fairfax, Virginia, was found guilty and sentenced in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on Thursday, January 18, 2007, following a non-jury trial before the Honorable Zinora Mitchell-Rankin. Campbell was also placed on five years of probation, ordered to stay away from the victim and nursing home where the victim resides, and not to be employed by or come into contact with any vulnerable persons.

According to the government’s evidence at trial, on May 6, 2006, the victim was a total care patient of Northwest Health Care Center, a skilled nursing facility located in Washington, D.C. Although Campbell was a licensed practical nurse, she was temporarily working as a Certified Nurse Aide. While Campbell attempted to dress the victim, Campbell and the victim began to struggle, and the victim screamed for help. Another nurse aide who responded to the screams witnessed Campbell struggle with the victim and observed that the victim had a fresh bruise on her face. The victim immediately stated that Campbell had hit her.

In announcing the results of this prosecution, U.S. Attorney Taylor and Inspector General Willoughby praised the work of Investigator Jonathan Rich of the Office of the Inspector General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) for his investigation of the criminal negligence. Mr. Taylor and Mr. Willoughby also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Tonolli and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dangkhoa Nguyen of the MFCU, who jointly prosecuted the case.