Registered nurse at Ellsworth Correctional in Union Grove accused of sexual relationship with inmate

UNION GROVE -- A Franklin man, who served as a registered nurse at the Ellsworth Correctional facility in Union Grove in Racine County is accused of having a sexual relationship with an inmate.

Jeremy Deppisch, 47, faces six charges:

According to a criminal complaint, amid an investigation into sexual activity between an inmate at Ellsworth Correctional in Union Grove and an employee, it was learned that Deppisch worked as a registered nurse for the DOC at the facility. Administration officials there had received information Deppisch was involved in a sexual relationship with an inmate.

That inmate was interviewed, and said that in January of 2018, she was at the Health Services Unit at the facility for treatment of "cat scratches." While there, she said there was sexual activity between her and Deppisch -- noting three separate encounters in treatment rooms in January. She said on at least one occasion, there was another nurse in the Health Services Unit. She said at one point, Deppisch gave her a "blister pack" of antibiotic "so she would have something to take back to her housing unit" after she was called down to the Health Services Unit to meet with him.

That blister pack was recovered from her cell, and the complaint says it contained handwriting indicating that it was prescribed to her by a doctor who was out of the country when it was alleged to have been prescribed. A review of the inmate's medical records did not show any prescription for the antibiotic.

The complaint says investigators spoke with another inmate who said the inmate allegedly involved in the sexual relationship with Deppisch told her about it.

The complaint further notes that investigators took a look at electronic Health Services Unit records, which revealed there were only two visits by this inmate in January -- on Jan. 5, 2018 and Jan. 18, 2018. Visits on the three dates the inmate claimed to have had sexual relations with Deppisch were not found in the records.

Deppisch made his initial appearance in court on July 24. A $10,000 signature bond was set, and a preliminary hearing was set for Aug. 8.