ER Nurse Accused of Swiping Patients' Credit Card Numbers

An emergency room nurse at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center faces fraud charges after Manatee County deputies say she swiped patients’ credit card numbers for her own use.

The case began to unfold in late November when a former patient discovered a charge for $109.92 on his credit card from Dot & Bo. The man called the merchant and discovered the package would be delivered to a Lakewood Ranch Boulevard apartment via UPS on Dec. 5.

The man then called the sheriff’s office, which had detectives track that package. When a shipping delay was noted, deputies set up a stakeout on Dec. 8 to watch for the package’s arrival and to see who picked it up, a probable cause affidavit stated.

In the meantime, detectives ferreted out just who lived in the apartment and found the connection with the Lakewood Ranch emergency room. Hospital staff informed police the woman at the apartment was an emergency room nurse who was on duty the night the victim’s card number was taken.

On the day the package was set for arrival, detectives checked out the apartment. On door No. 309 – where the item was meant to be delivered – they found a note written on paper with a distinct peacock feather design. That note told UPS to “Leave Package Thanks!”

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When the package arrived, it was left at the door. The woman came over from the hospital and didn’t pick it up immediately, detectives wrote in the affidavit. Instead, she moved it down the hall, went into her apartment and came back out a bit later. She and her husband “appeared to be looking to see if they were being watched,” the affidavit stated.

Seemingly concerned, the suspect went back to work, leaving the package behind. Later, however, she returned and did retrieve that package.

A search warrant was requested and granted. When detectives entered the home they found the package in a closet and a notebook inside the woman’s nurse’s bag. That notebook, with the distinct peacock feather design, contained not only the first victim’s credit card number and personal information, but also information belonging to several other people.

Leslie McHugh, 30, was ultimately charged with two counts of fraudulent use of a credit card. It seems the act also was a violation of probation, as well. She remained at the Manatee County Jail Friday. McHugh was arrested in July on a shoplifting charge, jail records indicate.

Photo Credit: Leslie McHugh/Manatee County Sheriff’s Office