A New Hampshire nursing assistant was charged in connection to the death of a patient at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital in Bedford, Mass., according to the Department of Justice.
Patricia Waible, 52, was charged with two counts of making false statements to federal agents. The statements centered on the death of 68-year-old Bill Nutter, a Vietnam veteran and patient at the VA hospital's nursing home unit. Hospital staff found Mr. Nutter unresponsive in his bed the morning of July 3, 2016.
Ms. Waible was working the night shift and was supposed to check on patients' breathing hourly. Prosecutors allege Ms. Waible falsely told federal investigators, on two separate occasions, that she conducted the hourly checks during a probe into Mr. Nutter's death.
She later admitted to playing video games on her computer instead of regularly checking on Mr. Nutter during her shift.
Ms. Waible, who agreed to plead guilty, could face up to five years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.