ASHLEY — Another person now faces charges after a nurse admitted to stealing painkillers from a cancer patient in Luzerne County.
Police arrested Jefferey Arnott, 50, and his girlfriend Andrea Gosiewski , 39, at their home in Ashley. Now, the house is declared unfit to live in after authorities found illegal drugs inside.
Gosiewski is charged with stealing pills from her own patient after police found her slumped over in a car in Edwardsville on Monday.
Gosiewski told police she took the painkillers from a hospice in Kingston to soothe her sore back.
“It’s not right,” said neighbor Edmund Okuniewski. “The patient needs that medication, especially cancer!”
Court papers indicate that police went to her home on Preston Street in Ashley to arrest her. That’s when they also found a suspected meth lab in the basement.
“Oh, baby! i didn’t know nothing about that,” said neighbor Henry Peshala. “You don’t know what happens behind closed doors, you know? Until you open them up and look in there, right?”
Authorities seized about a dozen guns from inside, plus materials suspected for making meth.
Police say Arnott came home during the search and admitted to making “speed.” He now faces drug charges and reckless endangerment in Luzerne County. But it’s not his family’s first run-in with law enforcement.
In 2012, Arnott’s son led police on a chase while driving a stolen ATV with an unleashed monkey. Authorities took his pet primate away. But at the time, he told Newswatch 16 why he kept it.
“I mean, he’s got four hands! He’s fun, we have fun with him,” Arnott’s son said.
Neighbors here remember the monkey, but there’s no monkey business involved with the charges Arnott Sr. now faces.
“Anything could happen with meth, especially these labs,” said Peshala.
Preliminary hearings for Arnott and Gosiewski are set for next month. Police also plan to charge Gosiewski with similar drug charges that Arnott faces.
