BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- A Boulder hospital says a former nurse accused of using needles intended for patients to steal pain medication has again tested negative for HIV and hepatitis.

Boulder Community Hospital said Thursday that the latest test results mean there is no evidence that patients were exposed to the diseases because of Ashton Daigle's actions.

The 27-year-old Fort Collins man was accused of stealing pain medication meant for up to 290 patients at the hospital. He reached a deal with prosecutors in June, pleading guilty to five criminal counts. Prosecutors dropped 173 other charges.

The hospital said Daigle was tested three times, the last more than a year after he left the hospital. It says signs of HIV or hepatitis are identifiable within six months of exposure.

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