Three high-level employees at Kern Valley Hospital District were arrested Wednesday for elder abuse and other charges.

The suspects worked for KVHD's skilled nursing facility in Lake Isabella and are accused of forcibly administering psychotropic drugs for staff convenience rather than the patients' medical needs.

Former director of nursing Gwen Hughes, former pharmacist Debbi Hayes and current staff physician Dr. Hoshang Pormir were arrested following a two-year investigation, according to a news release from California Attorney General Jerry Brown's office.

Eyewitness News broke the story about the investigation last June.

Medical complications, including lethargy and the inability to eat or drink properly, resulted from the forced medications, and three of the facility's residents may have died as a result, according to Brown's office.

Twenty-two patients were given high doses, and one surviving patient was greatly harmed, the investigation determined.

The patients who died were Mae Brinkley, 91; Joseph Shepter, 76; and Alexander Zaiko, 85.

Hughes, starting in 2006, allegedly ordered staff to give high doses of psychotropic medications to Alzheimer's and other dementia patients to make them more tranquil and easier to control. Hughes allegedly ordered the medications be given to patients who argued with her, made noise or were otherwise disruptive.

Brown's office alleges two patients were held down and forcibly given injections.

"We believe these people maliciously violated the trust of their patients by holding them down and forcibly administering psychotropic medications," said AG spokesman Scott Gerber.

KVHD CEO Rick Carter issued a statement in response to the arrests, saying his organization cooperated fully with the investigation and that the skilled nursing facility in Lake Isabella is operating in compliance with state health and safety standards.

All three suspects have been booked into Kern County Jail, and criminal charges have been filed in Kern County Superior Court. Hughes and Hayes were each charged with elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon. Pormir was charged with elder abuse.