Prosecutors announced on Friday that a grand jury had accused a South Florida fire department’s medical director and division chief for their roles in a flight nurse medication theft case.
Multiple criminal charges have been brought against Dr. Sandra Schwemmer, 72, the medical director of Monroe County Fire Rescue and the Trauma Star air ambulance service, and MCFR Division Chief Andrea Thompson in the Florida Keys.
Marathon resident Thompson, 45, was in charge of MCFR’s Trauma Star and EMS departments.
Lynda Rusinowski, the former Chief Flight Nurse at Trauma Star, was charged last week. In September 2022, the 58-year-old was first placed under arrest.
Authorities launched a protracted investigation into the drug theft from the Trauma Star program at the same time as the indictments.
When investigators were contacted by MCFR “about missing narcotics and discrepancies in their controlled substances logs,” according to Monroe County Sheriff’s Office officials at the time, they learned that Rusinowski had stolen both morphine and versed, then had altered or falsified records in an attempt to hide the thefts.
Rusinowski acknowledged stealing the pills, according to the authorities at the time.
Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward stated in a news release on Friday that “this case, along with last week’s indictment, underscores our commitment to holding public servants accountable for their actions.”
According to Ward, “our office will pursue justice with the full weight of the law,” since the charges “reflect serious violations of public trust.”
“No one is above the law, especially those entrusted with public safety and the welfare of our community,” he stated.
Boca Raton resident Schwemmer is charged on one count each of official misconduct, giving false information to the police, and tampering with medical data.
She has no disciplinary history and has been a registered physician in Florida since 1979. A $100,000 bond was posted for her.
Thirteen counts of witness tampering, two counts each of official misconduct and tampering with physical evidence, and one count each of giving false information to law enforcement and changing patient records are brought against Thompson, who was honored in 2021 for her two decades of service to the department.
No other information about their alleged roles in the case is provided in the indictments, which Local 10 News obtained on Friday.
A representative for MCFR stated on Friday afternoon that the county is in the process of ending a contract with Schwemmer’s business, which will take effect right now. It was compensated $124,842 to manage Trauma Star flight nurses and MCFR paramedics.
“Key West Fire Rescue Medical Director Dr. Antonio Gandia has agreed to step in and become Monroe County’s temporary medical director and will assist MCFR in any capacity needed,” as per a county statement.
Thompson has been placed on administrative leave “pending a pre-determination hearing,” which has not yet been scheduled. Thompson’s annual salary in that role was $151,127.
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Acting Monroe County Administrator Kevin Wilson described the charges as “serious” and stated that the county was treating them “very seriously” in a statement.
“We will follow due process during our internal investigations while we await formal court proceedings,” Wilson stated. “Our first priority is to ensure that the County’s emergency services continue to provide excellent care to our residents and visitors without interruptions.”
Online records show that Schwemmer was checked into the MCSO’s Plantation Key jail facility shortly after 5 p.m. on Friday, while Thompson was checked into the Key West detention facility of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office just before 3 p.m.
