Sarah Diamond, 29, of Woodstock, (inset) is facing federal charges for allegations that she tampered with morphine prescribed to patients at Crystal Pines Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Crystal Lake in August 2021. | Inset Photo: LinkedIn – Background Photo: Google Street View

A Woodstock woman, who worked as the assistant nursing director at a Crystal Lake rehab center, is facing federal charges for allegedly tampering with medication that was prescribed to patients.

A federal indictment was returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago charging Sarah Diamond, 29, of the 2000 block of Olmstead Drive in Woodstock.

Prosecutors said Diamond was employed as the Assistant Director of Nursing at a Chicago-area medical rehabilitation center.

According to Diamond’s LinkedIn, she worked at Crystal Pines Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Crystal Lake starting in June 2021.

Diamond is accused of removing morphine from bottles prescribed to two patients and replacing it with another liquid, knowing the diluted substance would be dispensed to the patients, according to the indictment.

The indictment said that Diamond tampered with the liquid morphine last August with “reckless disregard” and “extreme indifference” for the risk that the patients would be placed in danger of bodily injury.

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The indictment charges Diamond with two counts of tampering with a consumer product. An arraignment hearing in federal court has not been scheduled yet.

The Crystal Lake Police Department provided “valuable assistance” in the investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois said.

“Patients deserve to have confidence that they are receiving the legitimately prescribed medication and not a diluted substance,” U.S. Attorney Lausch said.

“Health care practitioners who illicitly tamper with prescription drugs will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Lausch said.

Diamond faces a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison for each count convicted.

“Patients should know they are receiving proper treatment from those entrusted with their medical care,” said FDA Special Agent-in-Charge Lynda Burdelik.

“We must hold medical personnel accountable when they take advantage of their unique position and tamper with medications their patients need, potentially exposing them to contaminated medical products,” Burdelik said.

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Records from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation show Diamond still has an active license as a registered professional nurse.