Man gives up nursing license for stealing patients’ opioid patches

Posted on June 15, 2018
James Rellihan
James Rellihan surrendered his license to work as a practical nurse after he pleaded guilty to entering rooms of nursing home patients and removing opioid patches from their bodies. He faces up to 15 years in prison. (McLean County Jail photo)

 

By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – A local nurse who pleaded guilty to entering rooms of nursing home patients and stealing pain-killing opioid patches from their bodies has agreed to surrender his license to be a practical nurse.

James Rellihan pleaded guilty Thursday to residential burglary. He worked at Bloomington Rehabilitation and Health Care Center on South Main Street, and went there on his day off in February to remove three fentanyl patches off a terminally ill patient’s body. Two days later, he went to Heritage Manor on Adelaide Street in Normal and took a fentanyl patch from dementia patient.

A court filing shows Rellihan surrendered his license from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, and he has no intention to renew the license that was obtained in April 23, 2013 and set to expire January 31, 2019.

A judge scheduled a sentencing hearing on July 25 for Rellihan, who faces penalties ranging from probation to 15 years in prison.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]

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