Citing a missed deadline in the filing of court records, a judge has dismissed felony criminal charges against an Iowa nursing home worker accused of stealing residents’ painkillers.
Court records show that in December 2025, licensed practical nurse Ashley Bessine, 30, of Burlington was criminally charged with four felony counts of prohibited acts involving controlled substances, plus one count of tampering with records, and one count of dependent adult abuse.
According to Henry County prosecutors, Bessine was employed as a nurse at the New London Specialty Care nursing home in 2025 when she stole one resident’s prescribed oxycodone painkillers and then, to conceal the theft, swapped the pills for a drug commonly used to treat high blood pressure.
Bessine was also accused of documenting the administration of numerous hydrocodone pills to a resident while keeping the drugs for herself, and of documenting the administration of another resident’s oxycodone pills she kept for herself.
Bessine’s attorney later argued for dismissal of the case, claiming the state had failed to file an approved “trial information” in the matter within 45 days of the case being initiated.
A judge agreed and dismissed the case, noting that a full week had passed between the day prosecutors submitted the necessary documents and the day they were approved by a judge and filed by the clerk of court.
Bessine is currently facing disciplinary charges from the Iowa Board of Nursing.
The board recently charged her with committing an act that might adversely affect the welfare of a patient, failing to assess or accurately document the status of a patient, and misappropriating or attempting to misappropriate medications or other items belonging to a patient.
The board has not publicly disclosed the alleged conduct that gave rise to the disciplinary charges or indicated where or when the conduct is alleged to have occurred.
A board hearing on the disciplinary charges is scheduled for June 26, 2026.
The Iowa Capital Dispatch was not able to reach Bessine for comment.
