Hospice nurse accused of stealing patient’s money, narcotics

DUNCAN — A felony arrest warrant was issued Tuesday for a hospice nurse accused of stealing $7,400 and opioids from her 88-year-old patient who suffers from dementia.

The Stephens County District Court issued a felony arrest warrant for Sunny Jo Weske, 34, of Duncan, for counts of financial exploitation by a caretaker and larceny of controlled dangerous substances, records indicate. Each count is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and, if convicted of the caretaker account, she would have to serve 85 percent of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

Duncan police began investigating Dec. 19, 2024, after the 88-year-old man’s daughter reported his hospice nurse, Weske, had been taking advantage of him. She said Weske had cashed her father’s checks, totaling $74,000 between Oct. 24, 2024, and Dec. 7, the warrant affidavit states.

Just prior to the report being filed, police were called to Weske’s home for a welfare check after her supervisor spoke to her, Detective Nathan Hicks stated. Weske had told the supervisor she’d taken a patient’s medication and wanted to harm herself, the affidavit states. She’d admitted to taking the man’s medication and money, the supervisor stated.

Weske told police she’d had a problem with addiction in the past and, the night before, she’d picked up the man’s medication, NORCO, and took all 52 of the 10 milligram tablets, according to the affidavit. NORCO contained hydrocodone, a synthetic opioid stronger than opiates.