Susan Boyce, 59, pled guilty after being arrested in Howell Country, Mo. on Jan. 29. Boyce, a former Searcy public school nurse, was wanted on one aggravated identity theft account as well as five wire fraud charges according to her September 2012 indictment.
Boyce, otherwise known as Suzanne Pitts, became the Sidney Deener Elementary School nurse after submitting her application allegedly using someone else’s registered nurse’s license and misusing someone else’s Social Security number on her W-4 form. She practiced as a registered nurse from Aug. 2007 – June 2012.
“I am relieved that she is in custody,” Dovie Baxter, the current school nurse of Sidney Deener, said. “Her actions affected so many people.”
Many parents of children in the Searcy school district have expressed concerns.
“I am overwhelmed and shocked,” Jennifer Bates, a Searcy parent and kindergarten teacher, said. “I can’t believe she has gotten away with it for so long. How did she get through the system, and how far did she take her practice on the kids? It just shows that we should all have random testing done, background checks and drug tests.”
In the duration of her time working as a registered nurse, Boyce earned approximately $175,100.
Nicole Meredith, another Searcy public school parent and Northstar customer service assistant, shared her thoughts.
“I’m livid that there were not more detailed background checks on employees,” Meredith said. “It is scary to think that anyone, regardless of medical training, could have treated children who were sick or hurt.”
Boyce was picked up in Howell County, Mo., after local police received a tip from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Her trial is scheduled to be March 3.
“To a mother, the absolute most important thing when looking for a school or a daycare is the well-being of your child,” Lexis Daniels, Searcy native and parent, said. “While I think it is a great asset to have a nurse on hand, I would be extremely disappointed to find out that I left my child under the care of someone who is a fraud. I feel like it is the school’s responsibility to fully investigate their employees.”
The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison.
