Former Houston Methodist nurse out of jail amid allegations she stole and used opioids while at work

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A 25-year-old former Houston Methodist nurse accused of stealing and using strong pain narcotics, including fentanyl, from the hospital bonded out of Harris County Jail Friday morning.

ABC13's cameras were the only ones rolling when Alexis McNeilly was released from custody.

She didn't have much to say as she tried to hide her face and deny her identity.

Police have accused McNeilly of stealing strong drugs like fentanyl and hydromorphone while working and swapping them out with saline.

In a four-page court document, police allege cameras captured McNeilly using what medical staff call a PYXIS to request the drugs and bypass a pharmacist's order.

According to the documents, she would then reportedly use a syringe and swap it out with saline before putting the tampered drug vials back into the PXYIS.

It's alleged cameras saw her stealing fentanyl four times and hydromorphone 11 times from April 2023 to May 2023.

When hospital administrators confronted McNeilly, she denied using the drugs and told them, "I hear voices telling me what to do," court documents state.

Multiple staff noticed bruising on her arm, and surveillance video captured her injecting the fentanyl into her hand before returning to work, according to the documents.

"This employee's conduct was unacceptable and never tolerated at Houston Methodist. The employee was fired immediately, and law enforcement was notified. We have extensive safeguards in place to protect our patients," Houston Methodist said in a statement.

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When police questioned McNeilly, she asked if they were involved this time because she admitted to doing this and alluded to a similar situation at her previous job.

Police allege that in McNeilly's previous job at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, hospital staff said they were concerned about the number of times she was creating overrides.

Baylor University Hospital staff said they witnessed McNeilly walk into a staff restroom, and when she exited, they found "blood spray" on the toilet seat, and empty vials in the trash can.

McNeilly was asked about this, and she admitted to taking the medications but only ones that were going to be wasted from cancelled overrides.

Baylor staff asked her to take a drug test, which came back positive for morphine, hydromorphone, and marijuana, according to the documents.

She was terminated from Baylor University Hospital, but Methodist Hospital wouldn't respond to our question when we asked them how she was able to get a job at their hospital following such allegations.

McNeilly posted a $30,000 bond this morning for three charges of diversion of a controlled substance.

ABC13 contacted a family member who declined to comment on the charges.

McNeilly is due back in court on Jan. 2.