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 164 of 730 cases · page 13 of 21.
| Case / When | Where | Setting | Drug | Method | Role | Prosecution status | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Contract nurse at Winston-Salem hospital diverted hydromorphone and replaced it with saline
2021-12
|
North Carolina Winston-Salem, NC |
Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center | injectable hydromorphone | Removed vials of injectable hydromorphone from an automated dispensing cabinet machine, injected the drug into herself, replaced the drug with saline solution, used glue to replace the lids, and returned the contaminated vials to locked drawers. | not stated | Pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product; sentenced to four years and six months in federal prison, a $3,000 fine, and three years of supervised release; nursing license suspended. | none documented | source |
|
Colorado Nurse Sentenced Over Fake Research-Study Hydromorphone Diversion
2021-12
|
Colorado Colorado |
A Colorado hospital | Hydromorphone | Falsely told patients not assigned to her care that she was conducting a PCA-pump study, used a key to open the secured syringe, removed a portion of hydromorphone from it, and returned the syringe to the patient's PCA; obtained the drug from three patients on four occasions and fabricated a false email to law enforcement to support her cover story | not stated | Sentenced to 12 months in federal prison plus one year of supervised release for obtaining controlled substances by fraud and deception | none documented | source |
|
VA Medical Center Pharmacy Chief Diverted Painkillers from Veterans' Prescriptions
2021-11-12
|
Pennsylvania Erie, Pennsylvania |
VA Medical Center pharmacy, Erie, Pennsylvania | Hydrocodone and oxycodone | As Pharmacy Chief, removed dosage units from patient pill bottles awaiting delivery to VA patients | not stated | Pleaded guilty to a federal drug-law violation; sentencing pending | none documented | source |
|
Ann Arbor VA Nurse Anesthetist Stole 2,000+ Vials of Opioids
2021-11-09
|
Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan |
Surgical unit, Ann Arbor VA Hospital (Ann Arbor, MI) | Fentanyl, hydromorphone, morphine, midazolam — 2,000+ vials | Used patient data and falsified records to withdraw drugs from dispensing machines | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced Nov 9, 2021 to 3 years' probation | none documented | source |
|
Nebraska City Nurse Diverted Thousands of Opioid Tablets from an Assisted-Living Facility
2021-10-20
|
Nebraska Nebraska City, NE |
Assisted-living facility, Nebraska City, NE | Hydrocodone, tramadol, and oxycodone | Repeatedly ordered opioid refills for residents that were never logged as administered; audit found over 6,000 tablets missing across 23 residents | not stated | Sentenced Oct 20, 2021, to three years of probation and a $5,000 fine | none documented | source |
|
Colorado Nurse Stole Fentanyl in Hospital Catheterization Lab
2021-09-18
|
Colorado Colorado |
Catheterization lab, contract hospital placement (Colorado) | Fentanyl, midazolam, propofol | Over-obtained doses beyond procedure needs; falsified patient charts to hide the diversion | not stated | Sentenced Sep 18, 2021 to 3 months in prison | none documented | source |
|
Carterville Nurse Diverted Hydrocodone at Disability Care Center
2021-09-16
|
Illinois Carterville, Illinois |
Residential care facility for adults with intellectual disabilities (Progress Port), Illinois | Hydrocodone | Falsely claimed doses were dispensed to a resident, diverted the pills, and replaced some with over-the-counter Tylenol | not stated | Sentenced to 4 years' probation, $500 fine, on felony drug diversion and health care fraud charges | $500 (criminal fine) | source |
|
Pain clinic physician pleaded guilty to operating a pill mill and selling oxycodone for kickbacks
2021-07
|
Ohio Columbus, OH |
Columbus Pain Specialists | oxycodone | operated a pill mill out of his practice for more than seven years and sold oxycodone in exchange for financial kickbacks; also staged a break-in at his practice to make a fraudulent insurance claim | not stated | pleaded guilty; sentenced to five years probation, ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, forfeit more than $524,000, and surrender his medical license and DEA registration | none documented | source |
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What each column does and doesn't cover
Every case states When (date) and Where (state) — 730 of 730. Beyond that, a blank cell means the source record does not state that fact, not that it did not happen:
- Setting: stated in 649 of 730 cases (89%)
- Drug: stated in 657 of 730 cases (90%)
- Method: stated in 474 of 730 cases (65%)
- Prosecution status: stated in 474 of 730 cases (65%); a documented penalty (fine, settlement, or restitution) exists for 77 of 730 cases (11%)
- Role: stated in only 255 of 730 cases (35%) — 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.