Cape Cod nurse charged with diverting oxycodone pills in East Boston health facility

BOSTON, July 21, 2025 – A licensed practical nurse from Cape Cod has been charged with falsifying medical records at an East Boston healthcare facility to steal oxycodone pills, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

KAITLIN TIPTON, 34, of West Yarmouth was charged in East Boston BMC Friday with drug larceny and drug obtained by fraud.

Judge Debra DelVecchio released Tipton on personal recognizance and ordered her to stay away from the location of the offense. Tipton is due back in court on September 10 for a probable cause hearing.

An investigation by a Massachusetts state trooper assigned to the Department of Public Health’s Drug Control Program discovered that from November 15, 2023, to February 23, 2024, Tipton diverted more than 50 oxycodone pills from Advocate Health Care (AHC) by falsifying the drug book and other medical records. AHC is a long-term care and short-term rehabilitation facility in East Boston where Tipton worked as an LPN.

Investigators found that Tipton diverted the addictive pain medication by not documenting doses, removing more medication than ordered by doctors, and making false entries on dates when she was not working.

Tipton told police that she had a friend with back problems who turned to her for help. She said she diverted medication from the facility for her friend and was unsure exactly how many times she did so.

“We’ll likely never know where these pills ended up, but we do know that substances like oxycodone and oxycontin are huge contributors to dependency issues we see in Boston and every other community. So diversions from dispensing facilities must be taken seriously,” Hayden said.

All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. Our office handles more than 20,000 cases a year. Nearly 160 assistant district attorneys practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Boston and Chelsea Juvenile Courts and the Supreme Judicial Court. Our office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs for anyone encountering the criminal justice system. We are committed to educating the public about our mission and services while focusing on crime prevention to keep the residents, workers and visitors of Suffolk County safe.

James Borghesani, Chief of Communications