KEY WEST, Fla. – A grand jury has indicted the medical director and a division chief of a South Florida fire department for their roles in a drug-theft scandal involving a flight nurse, prosecutors said Friday.
Dr. Sandra Schwemmer, 72, of Tavernier, medical director for Monroe County Fire and Rescue (MCFR) and Trauma Star Air Ambulance Service, and MCFR Division Chief Andrea Thompson, 45, of Marathon, face multiple criminal charges in the Florida Keys.
Former Trauma Star flight nurse Lynda Rusinowski was charged last week. The 58-year-old was initially arrested in September 2022.
The charges come as authorities continue a long-term investigation into the theft of narcotics from the Trauma Star program.
Chief Flight Nurse Lynda Rusinowski was arrested earlier this month over a narcotics theft in Monroe County. (MCSO)
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office officials said at the time that MCFR had contacted investigators “about missing narcotics and discrepancies in their controlled substance records” and that detectives discovered “Rusinowski stole morphine and Versed and then altered or falsified records in an attempt to conceal the thefts.”
Authorities said at the time that Rusinowski admitted to stealing the drugs.
“This case, along with last week’s indictment, underscores our commitment to holding public servants accountable for their actions,” Monroe County State’s Attorney Dennis Ward said in a news release Friday.
Ward said the charges “reflect serious violations of the public trust, and our office will pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law.”
“No one is above the law, especially those entrusted with the public safety and well-being of our community,” he said.
Schwemmer, a licensed physician in Florida since 1979 with no disciplinary record, faces one count each of official misconduct, providing false information to law enforcement and altering patient records. Her bond was set at $100,000.
Thompson, who was recognized in 2021 for her two decades of service to the department, faces nine charges: three counts of witness tampering, two counts each of official misconduct and tampering with physical evidence, and one count each of providing false information to law enforcement and altering patient records.
The indictments, obtained by Local 10 News on Friday, do not provide additional details about their alleged roles in the case.
Neither woman was listed in Monroe County Jail records as of Friday afternoon.
An MCFR official said the agency planned to comment on the allegations later in the afternoon.
