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 85 of 931 cases · page 5 of 11.
| Case / When | Where | Setting | Drug | Method | Role | Prosecution status | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hospital nurse tampered with fentanyl vial, replacing drug with saline
2023-09
|
South Dakota Pierre, SD |
a Chamberlain hospital | fentanyl citrate | Tampered with a vial of fentanyl citrate stored by the hospital: removed the fentanyl for injection and replaced most of it with saline solution, then returned the tampered vial to storage knowing the diluted fentanyl could be dispensed to surgical patients for severe pain. | not stated | Sentenced to two years of probation on September 11, 2023, for obtaining a controlled substance. | none documented | source |
|
Ardmore ICU Nurse Pleads Guilty to Replacing Patients' Pain Medication With Tap Water
2023-08-31
|
Oklahoma Ardmore, Oklahoma |
Hospital intensive care unit | Fentanyl and hydromorphone | Emptied vials, refilled with tap water, and returned them to the controlled storage locker for use on ICU patients | not stated | Pleaded guilty to tampering with consumer products (Aug. 2023); sentencing pending | none documented | source |
|
Sioux City Nurse Pleads Guilty to Stealing Opioids from Hospital Employer
2023-08-31
|
Iowa Sioux City, Iowa |
Hospital, Sioux City, Iowa | Fentanyl, morphine, hydromorphone, and hydrocodone | Diverted drugs intended for patients and falsified controlled-substance disbursement log entries to conceal the shortage | not stated | Pleaded guilty, August 30, 2023, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa; sentencing pending | none documented | source |
|
Surgery Center RN Sentenced for Swapping Fentanyl for Saline in ~450 Vials
2023-06-27
|
Florida Jensen Beach, Florida |
Circulating nurse, outpatient surgical center (Jensen Beach, Martin County, FL) | Fentanyl — swapped for saline in ~450 vials | Extracted fentanyl from vials Feb 28-Apr 18, 2022, replaced with saline, returned vials to the center for use on patients | not stated | Sentenced to 48 months + 3 yrs supervised release | none documented | source |
|
Raleigh-Area Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Surgical Patients' Painkillers
2023-05-22
|
North Carolina Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina |
Surgical practice, Fuquay-Varina/Raleigh, NC | Fentanyl, morphine, meperidine | Extracted drug from 78+ vials, refilled with saline | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced May 2023 to 48 months | none documented | source |
|
Cape Girardeau Nurse Admits Taking Leftover Fentanyl from Hospital
2023-05-05
|
Missouri Cape Girardeau, Missouri |
Saint Francis Medical Center, ED (Cape Girardeau, MO) | Fentanyl — leftover/tampered vials | Self-administered leftover fentanyl from tampered vials | not stated | Pleaded guilty May 2023; sentencing pending | $5,000 (criminal fine) | source |
|
Surgical practice nurse sentenced for tampering with fentanyl, morphine, and meperidine and replacing them with saline
2023-05
|
North Carolina Raleigh, NC |
a Raleigh-area surgical practice | fentanyl, morphine, and meperidine | extracted medication from vials of fentanyl, morphine, and meperidine and replaced it with saline, compromising at least 78 vials, including those intended for surgical patients; testing found compromised vials contained less than 15% of the actual medication and that tampering rendered multiple vials unsterile | not stated | sentenced to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release; pleaded guilty to the charges; plea agreement requires permanent surrender of the nursing license | none documented | source |
|
Denver Paramedic Supervisor Sentenced for Stealing 1,900 Vials of Fentanyl
2023-04-19
|
Colorado Denver, Colorado |
Paramedic department, Denver-area hospital (Denver, CO) | Fentanyl — ambulance narcotics kits | Stole ~1,900 vials over 4 years; falsified logs; refilled vials with saline | not stated | Sentenced Apr 19, 2023 — 3 years + 3 yrs supervised release | none documented | source |
Every filtered view has its own URL, so it can be linked or bookmarked. The same filters work on the JSON feed: /api/cases.json.
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.