MASON CITY – Mason City police arrested two Algona women Wednesday on multiple charges related to prescription forgery.
Arrested were Gina Splitt, 34, and Melissa Ricke, 33 after an on-going investigation into forged prescriptions.
Splitt was charged with four counts of class C felony prohibited acts for controlled prescriptions, four class C felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, and two class D felony counts of insurance fraud.
Ricke was charged with two class C felony counts and one aggravated misdemeanor count of prohibited acts for forged prescriptions, two class C felony counts and aggravated misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance and two class D felony counts of insurance fraud.
The class C felony counts carry a maximum sentence 0f 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The class D felony counts carry a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a $7,500 fine. The aggravated misdemeanor counts carry a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison and a $6,250 fine.
I can only hope that life shows you the same amount of kindness. Also, if anyone would like to formally release your name…If what you said was in fact ‘truth’ and can be proven outside of pure gossip…I’d love to exclude you in slander/libel case that has grown exponentially. These are very small communities. The sources are easy to pin. I am recovered, and stronger. I will not let anyone attack again without a response. The comparison to a mass murderer is my favorite. Thank you!
After 2 years I have finally gotten to reading all of the comments. I can only assume that the Globe Gazette…having nothing more important to report leaves links like this open because they have a legal clause that renders them innocent from libel when the public comments. To all the vicious ‘anonymous’ comment enthusiasts…I may be a recovering addict…but it has not reduced my intelligence. It is painfully obvious who you are.
She was such an amazing person!!! But so was Ted Bundy. You can’t judge a book by its cover. People can be very convincing.
The Gina I knew was a very caring person who would be there for you no matter what. Time has passed and I have not spoken to her in several years so, I do not know the current situation. I must say I am disappointed in the healthcare professionals that have commented regarding this situation. No matter how hurt, disappointed, happy you feel you should be the ones to have noticed she has a disease. The addiction is what has caused these actions. Although there is a cost to society, friends and family, and to Gina, she has a mental disorder, that increases risk for substance abuse. Do you honestly think prison is the answer? She needs medical attention, counceling, and support to fight her addiction.
I understand and respect your argument regarding addiction, but there are still consequences for her actions, which are regardless of her addiction is a CRIME. I completely believe in “Innocent til Proven Guilty” so I am not arguing that by any means. With that being said, if she is found “guilty” of the CRIME, I am certain that the jail system has treatment options like “AA and NA” for her addiction.
being mentally ill is no excuse for stealing from coworkers
Agreed but, most employers tell people not bring valuables to work or if you do to have it locked up. If you knew they were stealing you should have reported it and stop bringing things of value to work. I am just saying…
it was reported thank you very much
I am yet another former student of Gina’s! she was more interested in gossip and drama then helping the students who really needed it! she was more worried about being cool then focusing on her job! she would baby the kids that were “kiss-asses” and didn’t like the ones who really mattered! she was a horrible advisor as well! i know of a lot of students she wanted to withdrawl from class because they “wouldn’t pass anyways”! she just wanted the perfect pass rates! all i have to say is karma is a b*tch!! I was hoping she was just a bad teacher, not a completely horrible person too! i guess i was wrong!!
As a former student of GS, I believe it is true. During exams she would have us lock our purses in her office. She would leave the room during our exams and amazingly enough after class there would be at least 3 or 4 students that would discover something missing from their purses. There were 4 students that had prescription pain pills that were stolen and one student had a large amount of money taken as well as her prescription for anxiety. This happened on several occasions. When the students reported it, she turned the blame on us. She told us that whoever was responsible should come forward and she would help them get the counseling they needed. And ironically, this all happened during the Pharmacology class that she taught. She needs help.
Did you tell someone about it???
It was reported, but nothing was done about it.
i jst sit here reading these wondering what kind of pathetic ignorant vicarious assholes spend their time judging people on circumstancial situations. Anonymous!? all of you anonymous and your comments…no faith no point…and you mock God with your infieriority complex…have some God damn dignity and and add the few letters God gave you to put credit to any word you ever speak…YOUR NAME!!!! cowards.
I think trained law enforcement and medicaid insurance fraud specialist, damn assholes.
Quit!!!! It is none of your business. Leave them alone.
Quit!!!! Who appointed you God?
Matt, you may want to correct the spelling of that one word in the second to last paragraph of the article. 🙂
I am also a former student of Gina and I am not surprised by these accusations. I think it’s funny you people want to say that these are false accusations but you’ll just have to wait like the rest of us and see what they find out in court. And as for her asking for prayers, maybe she should’ve been thinking about her family and son when she was committing these crimes. I feel sorry for All of you that I’ve had the wall pulled over your eyes for some time. They are both complete narcissts.
I know for a fact that GS has been using narcotics for a long period of time, and MR has been charged with stalking and harassment of a previous ILCC employee. These 2 have issues and I hope they get the help they need. I believe the investigation will show they both have done what they have been charged with. The more important matter here is what about their children? Their mothers illegal acts only hurts them.
You may not have wanted to use the words “know for a fact” unless you can stand in a court of law and say that. Also-Shame on all of these nurses who are writing negative comments about Gina. She is a human just like all of us and as nurses we deal with many different types of people in the world. Obviously, if all of this is true, she has an addiction! An addiction of this type will ruin your life. If you have never delt with any type of addiction in your life, then it is easy to sit back and say negative things. I just hope you never have something like this happen to yourself or someone close to you. I myself am hoping these women get the help they need and pray for them and their families during this difficult time.
I am a nurse and I hope they loose their liscenses and rot in jail. Gina wasnt as caring and compassionate as some of her former students may have thought. She would do anything to boost her ego and make herself the center of attention. I do feel sorry for their families and the shame they have broght them.
You do not know what has and has not been tried in the past to help these 2. You also do not know how many people these 2 have hurt and damaged. Again, I do hope they get the help they need for their children’s sake.
Do the research there are public records to prove what Mellisa has done as she currenlty has a restraining order against her, that is public record. Many Dr’s would come out of the woodwork on Gina if HIPPA was not involved. Time will tell with the investigation. It is a bad reflection on them, nursing, and their current and previous employers unfortunately. When you take an oath to be a professional nurse, you actions affect more than just you. 🙁
If you knew she was using then why didn’t you turn her in?
Did try and it was ignored.
Just for the record, Gina Splitt has not worked at Iowa Lakes for quite some time.
This has Mercy Medical Center North Iowa written all over it.
What does?
Mary Jane-
I’m certain that whether it happened at Mercy NI or at any hospital should not make a difference. Their behavior and actions are their responsibility.It would be unfair to judge the hospital by the bad choices these women made in this situation.
As a former student of Gina’s I can say that she is honestly one of the most self centered people I have ever met. Most student’s were either too glossy eyed at her outrageous classroom stories or just kiss-@$$es. In nursing school you do what you do to make it right?? But I digress…..Gina only shared concern because she wanted to get in the middle of the drama and then be the 1st to tell everyone. I wouldn’t have guessed her at doing something to this extent however, but when the drama dries up what’s a girl to do?!?!
I sure do hate when the police make stuff up about people and then send out press releases.
http://masoncity.municipalcms.com/docview.aspx?docid=30184
As a former student of Gina’s I never would have thought her possible of something like this. She is a very honest, hardworking, caring individual as well as passionate about teaching. There must be some mistake. I’ll be very VERY shocked if there isn’t.
Same goes for Mel. For as long as I’ve known her all she wanted to do was be a nurse and help people. She was one of the most compassionate in my clinical group. Again, I also don’t see her capable of something like this.
she should apologize to everyone she stole from, not the other way around.
Those of you who are commenting badly have no idea how honest and sincere Gina is…everyone is innocent until proven guilty. How can you gossip and talk about her like this…she is a wonderful teacher and nurse and a woman who i look up to and helped me when i was in a hard spot in my life…the honorable thing for you all to do is aplogize! I love you Gina!
You still believe that the Catholic Church doesn’t protect pedophile priests either?
There’s no possible chance this is true yet it happens and we see it in the media from time to time. I presume that this occupation would make it quite easy for an individual to do such a thing but then my intellect comes from Google and North Iowa Mugshots, so what the hell do I know.
There is no possible way this “news hype” holds any water! Before anyone can judge or make incredibly false statements, get the whole story! These women are outstanding people, they care for the well-being of people, even people like those of you who have nothing but gossip to live for. As a fellow nurse, as well as a former nursing student of one of the most sincere, knowledgeable, caring person, there is no possible chance this is true.
I hope they are prosecuted to the fullest extent.
This is a quote from one of the girl’s facebook page. Sad, I guess their licenses don’t mean that much to them.
I influence the future of healthcare, one nursing student at a time.
What an embarrassment to nursing and the entire healthcare community. Sad someone like this was teaching our nursing students.
Yes, she was an instructor at Iowa Lakes Community College.
Is this Splitt lady the same nursing program instructor from Iowa Lakes Community College?
plus they were stealing $$ from the employees at the hospital. glad they were caught!!