U.S. Department Of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Office of Investigations Washington, DC 20420 (202) 565-7702
Thursday, March 18, 1999
VA Nurse Pleads Guilty to Assaulting a Patient
Richard J. Griffin, Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), announced today that on March 17, 1999, Deborah A. Riney, a licensed practical nurse formerly employed at the Central Arkansas Veterans Health Care System, Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to assaulting a VA patient. Griffin stated that the guilty plea was a result of a joint investigation conducted by his Southeast Field Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Riney admitted to striking a 77 year old veteran while he was a patient at the VA Medical Center. Riney had worked at the VA facility for 18 years. She now faces a sentence of up to 6 months in prison and a fine of $5,000. The sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin T. Alexander, Little Rock, prosecuted this case.