Caregiver Convicted of Possession of Narcotic Drugs

MADISON - Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today that a Juneau County woman has been convicted in Eau Claire County Circuit Court.  Kristine Kolba, 26, W4617 State Road 82, Mauston, pleaded guilty to one count of felony Possession of Schedule II Narcotic Drugs without a Prescription.  Eau Claire County Circuit Court Judge Lisa Stark stayed sentencing and placed Kolba on two years probation. 

According to the Department of Justice's criminal complaint, Kolba was employed at Orchard Hills Assisted Living in Eau Claire as a Resident Assistant.  As part of her employment, Kolba was responsible for giving residents in her care their prescribed medications.  One of these residents was prescribed Fentanyl patches as a pain medication.  On May 31, 2008, Kolba was found in her home not breathing and during conveyance to the hospital by EMTs, she vomited a Fentanyl patch.  It was discovered that the resident for whom the patch was prescribed had not received it and it had been ingested by Kolba instead.    

The case was investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Medicaid Fraud Control and Elder Abuse Unit and was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Gabrysiak.