A former registered nurse who had previously pleaded guilty to fentanyl possession, but who failed to appear for the January court date at which she would have been sentenced, was arrested in Claremont, NH.

Sarah Heed, 46, had her nurse's license revoked in 2022 after having been discovered stealing medication from her place of employment as well as being intoxicated at work.

At the Lento Law Firm, we can step in to handle license defense issues the moment they arise—which is often long before plea deals or sentencing even take place. If you need help with a professional license problem, call us at 888.535.3686 or message us by clicking here.

The Conclusion to Several Years of Criminal Behavior

Heed had previously pleaded guilty to both felony and misdemeanor charges related to drug possession but failed to show up for her sentencing court date. She was later arrested and received suspended concurrent sentences in county jail and state prison. The Sullivan County Superior Court judge also stipulated that Heed must also participate in drug and alcohol addiction programs.

On August 1, 2019, Heed was suspended from the Elmwood Genesis Center, a nursing care facility where she worked as a Registered Nurse. She was terminated several days later, and her nursing license was revoked on March 25, 2022, after she was accused of being intoxicated on the job and found to have stolen oxycontin from the medication cart at her workplace, among other offenses.

Not long after that, in July 2022, complaints about “suspicious drug activity” in a Claremont neighborhood led law enforcement officers to execute a search on a Mulberry Street home. After the search turned up cash, crack cocaine, a firearm, and a “significant quantity” of heroin, Heed was arrested and charged with Possession of Controlled Drugs.

Another individual, a 29-year-old man named Ethan Marsh, was also arrested during the sweep of the Mulberry Street residence. He was charged with Possession of Controlled Drugs and Possession of Dangerous Weapons.

The Trouble with License Revocation

Naturally, none of the choices that led to Heed's arrest were smart ones. But it's interesting to note that her nursing license was initially suspended and then ultimately revoked, not after arrest or legal trouble, but immediately upon suspicion of her illicit behavior on the job.

Such swift action is intended to protect the public, but it also means that nurses or other professionals accused of misdeeds have no time to lose.

If you are in a similar situation, call the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team immediately at 888.535.3686 or click here.