Franklin County jail nurse charged with scheme to get drugs illegally

A woman who worked as a nurse in the Franklin County Detention Center faces 75 felony charges in which sheriff's investigators said she got opiate drugs by using the names of former jail inmates.

Tamsey Hight Watkins, 37, is named in 25 warrants and was arrested at work at the jail on Wednesday, officials said.

Watkins worked for a company that contracted with the county for medical services at the jail, the sheriff’s office said.

Each warrant accused Watkins of two counts of opiate trafficking and one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.

The sheriff’s office declined to discuss how long investigators believe the scheme had been going on, saying the investigation is continuing.

A spokesman said almost all the charges involved oxycodone.

Watkins was being held in lieu of $250,000 bail in the jail where she worked.

She is scheduled for a court appearance March 27.

This story was originally published March 16, 2017 at 11:58 AM with the headline "Franklin County jail nurse charged with scheme to get drugs illegally."