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Veterans Affairs Nurse Indicted for Stealing Opioids

A former nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center faces a federal charge of obtaining controlled substances by fraud; the case is at the charging stage and remains undecided.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 22, 2026, 9:03 p.m. ET
Steve Michael Kelley, 58, a former nurse at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minneapolis, was indicted by a grand jury on one count of obtaining controlled substances by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota. His initial appearance was before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on August 21, 2026. The indictment alleges that Kelley wrongfully obtained hydromorphone, a controlled substance, from about January 2025 through about January 28, 2026. The case resulted from an investigation by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General, the Veterans Affairs Police Department, the Food and Drug Administration Office of Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case. This case is only at the charging stage. The matter has not been decided by a court.

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  1. Version 123 Aug 2026, 01:03current

    First published.

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