Health Care Worker Stole Drugs From Employer In Ocean County: Police

BRICK, NJ — A Brick Township woman has been charged with stealing narcotics from the health care company where she worked, police said Monday.

Lauren Scholz, 37, was arrested Friday after the Brick Township Police Department's Street Crimes Unit received an anonymous tip about the thefts, Patrol Officer Victoria Finelli said.

Authorities received a tip on Thursday that a health care worker was stealing narcotics from her place of employment and were able to identify Scholz as the suspect, Finelli said. She was employed at the Vascular Institute at Atlantic Medical Imaging, 495 Jack Martin Blvd, Finelli said.

On Friday, Brick police went to the facility and spoke with management, and the investigation found 100 flip-top vials containing fentanyl and 40 syringes containing hydromorphone (Dilaudid) were missing, Finelli said. Further investigation led to the arrest of Scholz and the recovery of the fentanyl and the hydromorphone.

While she was under arrest, authorities found Scholz had an ounce of cocaine in her possession, along with drug paraphernalia, and Scholz admitted to the theft of narcotics, Finelli said.

Scholz has been charged with theft, possession of fentanyl, possession of hydromorphone (Dilaudid), possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia, Finelli said.

Scholz was processed and released on a summons pending a future court appearance.