Fentanyl diversion cases
181 documented cases, 2000–2026.
Figures are derived from the 931 case records collected on this site, not from any official total. A record counts here when its Drug field names fentanyl; it also appears on the opioids page.
Monetary penalties stated
Median: $10,000
Smallest $1,000 · largest $4,500,000
Median of 34 amounts in US dollars (civil settlements and penalties, criminal fines, restitution, forfeiture) stated in 31 of 181 records. 150 records state no dollar amount.
Custodial sentences stated
Shortest: 3 months
Longest: 468 months (39 years)
43 prison or jail terms stated in 43 of 181 records. Probation, supervised release, home confinement and suspended terms are not counted.
Roles named in the records
| Role | Records |
|---|---|
| Nurse (role unspecified) | 107 |
| Registered nurse (RN) | 17 |
| Physician / surgeon | 16 |
| Not stated in the record or its title | 14 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | 9 |
| Paramedic / EMT | 7 |
| Pharmacy technician | 5 |
| Nurse practitioner / APRN | 2 |
| Surgical / OR technician | 2 |
| Dentist / oral surgery | 1 |
| Pharmacist | 1 |
From the Role field (19) or, where the record has none, the case title (148).
States with the most records
| State | Records |
|---|---|
| Iowa | 13 |
| New Hampshire | 11 |
| Colorado | 10 |
| Massachusetts | 10 |
| Oklahoma | 9 |
| Connecticut | 8 |
| South Dakota | 8 |
| Wisconsin | 8 |
44 states and territories in all; every state.
Settings involved
| Setting | Records |
|---|---|
| Hospital / health system | 101 |
| Other / not classified | 57 |
| Ambulatory surgery / OR | 9 |
| Emergency services / EMS | 4 |
| Dental / oral surgery | 2 |
| Fertility / reproductive | 2 |
| Home health / hospice | 1 |
| Long-term care | 1 |
| Retail pharmacy | 1 |
| No setting stated | 3 |
Other drugs and classes
Cases
Newest first · page 1 of 8, 1–25 of 181
- Edmond hospital employee charged with stealing fentanyl waste from OU Health 2026-09 · Edmond, OK · Other / not classified
- LeMars Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl and Hydromorphone, Falsifying Patient Records 2026-07-09 · LeMars, Iowa · Other / not classified
- Registered nurse charged with unlawfully obtaining oxycodone, hydromorphone and fentanyl at a Horry County hospital 2026-07 · Horry County, SC · Hospital / health system
- Tampa Bay Nurse Sentenced to Two Years for Tampering with and Stealing Injectable Opioids 2026-06-11 · Tampa, Florida · Hospital / health system
- Puerto Rico nurse anesthetist indicted on federal charges of tampering with fentanyl vials 2026-06-02
- Puerto Rico Anesthesia Nurse Indicted for Replacing Fentanyl with Clear Liquid 2026-06-02 · San Juan, Puerto Rico · Ambulatory surgery / OR
- Indiana Emergency Nurse Sentenced Over Fentanyl Documentation Falsification 2026-05 · Fort Wayne, Indiana · Hospital / health system
- Montana Health Center Nursing Director Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl 2026-04-29 · Jordan, Montana · Other / not classified
- Registered nurse removed fentanyl from medication safe without order or documentation and failed to document controlled substance administration/wasting; license revoked 2026-04 · Hospital / health system
- Hospital nurse accused of stealing opioids from patients at Grand Strand Medical Center 2026-04 · Horry County, SC · Hospital / health system
- Vermont hospital endoscopy unit nurse diverted fentanyl and sedatives intended for patients 2026-03-05 · Barre, Vermont · Hospital / health system
- Seattle Anesthesiology Resident Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl and Hydromorphone While Treating Children 2026-02-02 · Seattle, Washington · Hospital / health system
- Former Boston-Area ICU Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl and Versed from Intubated Patient 2026-01-15 · Needham, Massachusetts · Hospital / health system
- Littleton Oral Surgery Assistant Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl Vials 2026-01-14 · Littleton, Colorado · Other / not classified
- Vermont Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Vermont · Hospital / health system
- Utah Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Utah · Other / not classified
- Puerto Rico Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Puerto Rico · Ambulatory surgery / OR
- Oklahoma Health Care Worker Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Oklahoma · Ambulatory surgery / OR
- Nursing Director Pleads Guilty to Tampering With Fentanyl at Montana Health Center 2025-12-16 · Jordan, Montana · Other / not classified
- New Hampshire emergency department nurse pleaded guilty after keeping partial opioid doses 2025-12 · Hospital / health system
- Nurse Anesthetist Diverted Fentanyl Waste for Months While AI Surveillance Missed It (Erlanger Baroness) 2025-12 · Chattanooga, Tennessee · Ambulatory surgery / OR
- Emergency Room Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl Vials at Michigan Hospital 2025-11-25 · Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan · Hospital / health system
- Anchorage Nurse Practitioner Sentenced for Prescribing Opioids Without Medical Purpose 2025-11-14 · Anchorage, Alaska
- Nurse anesthetist at a Chattanooga hospital admitted diverting leftover fentanyl from surgeries, state consent order says 2025-11 · Chattanooga, TN · Hospital / health system
- Registered nurse stole fentanyl vials at work and altered medication logs to conceal theft 2025-09 · Other / not classified
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Disclaimer
Case summaries are based on public records (DOJ press releases, court documents, licensing-board orders, news reports). Charges are allegations unless a conviction is noted. Analysis is educational, not legal advice.
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