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Red Mass held for judges and lawyers

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center hospice nurse accused of stealing morphine meant for suffering vets has asked a federal judge to schedule a guilty plea hearing and sentencing, according to court documents filed Thursday.</p><p>Janice Monique Matrician, 50, of Tamaqua, was <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/593880/nurse-charged-with-stealing-narcotics-from-wilkes-barre-va-medical-center" target="_blank">charged with obtaining the drug by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception and subterfuge in a criminal information filed Oct. 5</a>. Matrician in 2015 allegedly entered into a hospital computer she was disposing of the drug when she was keeping it for herself.</p><p>Hospital officials as recently as Tuesday have declined to comment on Matrician&#8217;s employment status, but a source two days after the charges were filed <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/594517/source-wilkes-barre-va-nurse-who-allegedly-stole-drugs-intended-for-dying-vets-still-on-job" target="_blank">confirmed Matrician was reassigned to a desk job</a>.</p><p>The source, a hospital employee who called the alleged theft &#8220;sad and sickening,&#8221; spoke to the Times Leader on the condition of anonymity because she wasn&#8217;t authorized to discuss personnel publicly.</p><p>Faced with prosecutors&#8217; evidence in the case, Matrician has decided to admit her guilt, the court filing says.</p><p>&#8220;After consultation and discussion with counsel, Matrician has decided it would be in her best interest to enter a plea of &#8216;guilty,&#8217;&#8221; Assistant Federal Public Defender Ingrid S. Cronin wrote.</p><p>Cronin requests a presentence report be prepared ahead of the plea date.</p><p>A judge had not immediately responded to the motion.</p><p>Matrician&#8217;s nursing license, issued in 2008, remains active with no disciplinary actions, according to state records.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre VA hospice nurse asks to enter guilty plea, receive sentence