Pocono News Section

Nursing Home Drug Arrest

Nursing Home Drug Arrest - Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 7:33PM EST

Thursday, Jun 26, 2008 @ 07:33pm EST
Clarks Summit, Lackawanna County - Seven workers are facing charges of misusing drugs at a Lackawanna County Senior Center. Investigators say they started looking into what was happening at the New Seasons Assisted Living Center in February.

Police charged the day shift nurse at the facility with giving painkillers to five other workers. They also charged the administrator for knowing about it and doing nothing. Police say they took the medication off of carts and from residents. In some cases some residents were given the wrong pills or no pills for days.

Kim Zupon leaves her arraignment Thursday facing ten felony charges. The former nurse is accused of giving Xanax and Vicodin to five co-workers while on duty at the New Seasons Assisted Living Center in Clarks Summit.

Barbara Wiley is the former administrator at New Seasons. Police say she knew what was going on and did nothing. Pills and alcohol were also found in her office.

Raelin Hullings, Marilyn Perfillio, Gail Ross and Kristen Daney were accused of getting and taking the drugs on duty. Daney blames her boss Kim Zupon. She says Zupon intimidated all of her co-workers to keep quiet by saying her husband was a hitman in the mob.

The sixth suspect, Lindsay Koester, is out of state and is expected to turn herself in on Monday. All of the other suspects are free on unsecured bail.

The policies at the New Season Living Center have changed since the problems have come to light. There is now a number for workers to call in case they suspect any wrongdoing.