A judge has dismissed felony criminal charges against a Burlington nurse accused of stealing pain medication from residents at a Southeast Iowa nursing home.
Thirty-year-old Ashley Bessine had been charged in December of 2025 with four felony counts involving controlled substances, along with charges of tampering with records and dependent adult abuse.
According to prosecutors, Bessine was working at New London Specialty Care when she allegedly took prescribed oxycodone and hydrocodone medications from residents and falsified records to make it appear the drugs had been administered.
Court records allege that in one case, oxycodone pills were replaced with medication commonly used to treat high blood pressure in an attempt to conceal the theft.
However, Bessine’s attorney argued the state failed to meet a required filing deadline. Under Iowa law, prosecutors must file approved trial information within 45 days of charges being filed. The judge agreed, ruling the documents were not approved and officially filed in time, leading to the dismissal of the criminal case.
Despite the dismissal, Bessine is still facing disciplinary action from the Iowa Board of Nursing.
The board has accused her of conduct that could adversely affect patient welfare, failing to properly document patient care, and attempting to misappropriate medications belonging to patients. The board has not publicly released details about the allegations or where the incidents are alleged to have occurred.
A disciplinary hearing before the Iowa Board of Nursing is scheduled for June 26th.
The information was first reported by the Iowa Capital Dispatch.