Kellie Gentz

WARREN, Pa. — A Tidioute, Pa., woman who entered a procedural not guilty plea this week for allegedly stealing prescribed pain medication from local nursing home patients pleaded guilty to amended charges.

Kellie A. Gentz, 31, was charged by the Pennsylvania Attorney General last month with acquiring controlled substances, possession of controlled substance, neglect of care-dependent person, simple assault, theft by unlawful taking, and reckless endangerment. Gentz was working as an LPN at Kinzua Healthcare and Rehabilitation in Warren, Pa., when she was arrested in September.

According to District Attorney Rob Greene, the charges at count one were amended to include the proper maximum sentence of 15, rather than five, years incarceration. Gentz was charged with violation of the controlled substance, drug device, cosmetic act because, according to the amended charge, she withdrew hydrocodone, oxycodone, and tramadol from an automated medication dispensing machine on 110 separate occasions without administering them to the 17 care-dependent patients for whom they were intended. She also destroyed inventory records and resealed medication bottles, the charge indicates.

Greene indicated Thursday that he had no “official” statement, but did say that Gentz will be sentenced on Jan. 11.