Montana Prison Worker Held On Drug Charge State Official Says Nurse Sold Inmates Prescription Medication

A Montana State Prison employee has been arrested for allegedly selling prescription drugs from the prison infirmary to inmates, a state official said Thursday.

David Egan, a registered nurse, faces charges of criminal sale of dangerous drugs and illegal transactions with inmates, said Mike Micu, an investigator for the Department of Corrections. Egan was arrested Wednesday night.

Warden Mike Mahoney said Egan worked the afternoon-evening shift in the prison infirmary and has been an employee for four or five years.

Egan is suspected of stealing pharmaceuticals from the infirmary and selling them to inmates, Mahoney said. The mood-altering drugs are used in treatment of mental disorders, he added.

The arrest capped a two-month investigation that began when officials noticed the inventory of drugs did not balance, Mahoney said.

The alleged crimes point out how staff members can take advantage of prisoners to get money, he said.

“This is an unfortunate incident,” he said. “In the environment we deal with, people are subject to being preyed upon as another way of gaining income.

“This arrest is consistent with the department’s and Montana State Prison’s zero tolerance for illegal activity in correctional facilities,” Mahoney said.

Egan has been suspended without pay.