Nurse Accused Of Infecting Army Patients With Hepatitis C
EL PASO (AP) – Federal officials said today that a former Army hospital employee is accused of infecting at least three patients with Hepatitis C.
45-year-old Jon Dale Jones was arrested Thursday in Miami. He was indicted last month on three counts each of assault, aggravated assault, and possession of a controlled substance by fraud.
Jones is a former nurse anesthetist at William Beaumont Army Medical Center at Fort Bliss. He was released from jail after posting 5 percent of his $200,000 bond.
His Miami lawyer, Edward O’Donnell, did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.
Federal prosecutors say Jones infected at least three patients with Hepatitis C. That’s a blood-born disease that can lead to cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer. He is also accused of siphoning drugs from those patients during surgeries at the Army hospital in 2004.
Army hospital spokesman Clarence Davis said Jones worked there from July 2004 to June 2005. He said it was unclear if Jones was fired or resigned from his job.
