Case Database
Filter every documented case by date, drug, state, setting, role, prosecution status, and penalty. Search accepts brand or generic drug names, facility names, and cities.
Showing 181 of 931 cases · page 18 of 23.
| Case / When | Where | Setting | Drug | Method | Role | Prosecution status | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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South Dakota ICU nurse's lawsuit over termination for fentanyl discrepancies rejected on appeal
2020-06-17
|
South Dakota | Hospital in Minnehaha County, South Dakota | Fentanyl; also unaccounted lorazepam and hydromorphone | not stated | Registered nurse, intensive care unit | not stated | none documented | source |
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South Dakota ICU nurse fired after fentanyl accountability review; wrongful-discharge suit fails on appeal
2020-06-17
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South Dakota | hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota | fentanyl, lorazepam (Ativan) and hydromorphone unaccounted for | not stated | registered nurse, intensive care unit | not stated | none documented | source |
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ICU nurse at a Sioux Falls hospital accused of diverting fentanyl, lorazepam and hydromorphone after medication records review
2020-06
|
South Dakota Sioux Falls, SD |
Avera McKennan Hospital | fentanyl, lorazepam (Ativan), hydromorphone | Alleged diversion: a medication log review showed an atypically high fentanyl removal rate; a review of 16 charts found 12 areas of concern, including unaccounted amounts of 275 micrograms of fentanyl and 3 milligrams each of lorazepam and hydromorphone, and 66 of 669 medications not scanned as administered or wasted. | not stated | Terminated in 2016; sued for wrongful discharge, breach of contract and defamation; circuit court granted the hospital summary judgment, upheld by the South Dakota Supreme Court; the Board of Nursing investigated and ordered counseling, while other reported agencies took no action. | none documented | source |
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CRNA Tampered with Fentanyl Vials at Charles City Hospital
2020-05-29
|
Iowa Charles City, Iowa |
CRNA, Charles City hospital surgery & birthing centers (Charles City, IA) | Fentanyl and sufentanil | Perforated tamper-proof vial seals, replaced drug with saline, glued vials shut, returned to secure dispensaries | not stated | Pleaded guilty Aug 1, 2019; sentenced to 34 months + $15,000 fine + $31,998.34 restitution | $31,998 (restitution) | source |
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Nurse accused of diverting fentanyl and hydromorphone at Danville hospital
2020-05
|
Virginia Danville, VA |
Sovah Health-Danville | fentanyl and injectable hydromorphone | Was accused of diverting and tampering with vials of fentanyl and injectable hydromorphone intended for patients; hospital discovered that tops of several vials had been removed or tampered with, including 14 of 20 fentanyl vials whose tops popped off and one vial with a dry white film appearing to be superglue. | not stated | Was already serving a three-year prison sentence for tampering with consumer products at Sovah Health-Danville. | none documented | source |
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Pembina County Long-Term Care Nurse Charged With Stealing Resident Narcotics
2020-04-13
|
North Dakota Mountain, North Dakota |
Long-term care facility in Pembina County, North Dakota | Hydrocodone/APAP, oxycodone, and transdermal fentanyl patches | Allegedly substituted over-the-counter medication for residents' prescribed opioids from March-November 2017; discovered via a tampered medication card | not stated | Charged April 13, 2020 with 9 felony counts of theft of a prescription, 2 felony counts of reckless endangerment, and 1 misdemeanor theft count - the first case brought by the state's new Medicaid Fraud Control Unit | none documented | source |
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Air-Evacuation Paramedic Tampered with Fentanyl and Ketamine Vials
2019-12-09
|
Oklahoma Weatherford, Oklahoma |
Emergency air-evacuation service (Weatherford, OK) | Fentanyl and ketamine vials | Removed drug from vials, replaced with sterile saline | not stated | Sentenced Dec 9, 2019 — 6 months + 3 yrs supervised release | none documented | source |
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ICU Nurse Sentenced for Stealing Fentanyl at Parker Adventist Hospital
2019-11-13
|
Colorado Parker, Colorado |
ICU, Parker Adventist Hospital (Parker, CO) | Fentanyl — dispensing-cabinet cassettes | Used the automated dispensing cabinet to access fentanyl, withdrew it with a syringe and saline flushes, sometimes reinjected saline into the cassette to conceal the theft; flagged by an April 2018 audit for high fentanyl use/waste | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced Nov 13, 2019 to 44 months in federal prison | none documented | source |
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What each column does and doesn't cover
Every case states When (date) and Where (state) — 931 of 931. Beyond that, a blank cell means the source record does not state that fact, not that it did not happen:
- Setting: stated in 850 of 931 cases (91%)
- Drug: stated in 858 of 931 cases (92%)
- Method: stated in 675 of 931 cases (73%)
- Prosecution status: stated in 675 of 931 cases (73%); a documented penalty (fine, settlement, or restitution) exists for 107 of 931 cases (11%)
- Role: stated in only 255 of 931 cases (27%) — filtering or sorting by role silently hides the rest of the registry, which may still describe the same role in prose without a structured field
Disclaimer
Case summaries are based on public records (DOJ press releases, court documents, news reports). Charges are allegations unless a conviction is noted. Analysis is educational, not legal advice.
Last reviewed: September 2026 · Content is educational, not legal advice.