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 3 of 8, 51–75 of 181
- Manchester hospital agreed to pay $300,000 to resolve controlled-substance recordkeeping allegations after fentanyl diversion 2024-07-08 · Hospital / health system
- Catholic Medical Center Pays $300,000 Over CRNA's Fentanyl Diversion 2024-07-03 · Manchester, New Hampshire · Hospital / health system
- Palomar Health Pays $250,000 Over Fentanyl Diversion in Cath Lab 2024-06-03 · Escondido, California · Other / not classified
- Physician terminated by employer for diverting fentanyl, versed and dilaudid from patients 2024-06 · Tampa, FL · Other / not classified
- New Hampshire hospital nurse anesthetist pleaded guilty after substituting saline for operating-room fentanyl 2024-06 · Hospital / health system
- ICU nurse accused of diverting patients' liquid fentanyl and replacing it with tap water at a Medford, Oregon hospital 2024-06 · Medford, OR · Hospital / health system
- Nurse at Texas Health Hurst-Euless-Bedford diverted fentanyl, morphine, and other controlled substances from an automated dispensing cabinet 2024-05 · Bedford, TX · Other / not classified
- ICU nurse sentenced for tampering with fentanyl and hydromorphone at Ardmore hospital 2024-04 · Ardmore, OK · Hospital / health system
- Labor & Delivery Nurse Stole Pain Meds from 50+ New Mothers 2024-03-27 · Waterloo, Iowa · Hospital / health system
- Former Scripps Encinitas anesthesiologist placed on seven-year probation for taking and self-administering propofol and opioids 2024-03 · Hospital / health system
- Hospital nurse anesthetist accused of diverting fentanyl and propofol intended for surgical patients 2024-01 · Las Vegas, NM · Hospital / health system
- Texas Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Texas · Other / not classified
- Oregon Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Oregon · Other / not classified
- Oklahoma Physician Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Oklahoma · Hospital / health system
- Ohio Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Ohio · Other / not classified
- New Hampshire Nurse Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · New Hampshire · Other / not classified
- Minnesota Nurse Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Minnesota · Home health / hospice
- Massachusetts Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Massachusetts · Other / not classified
- Hospital registered nurse's license revoked after fentanyl tampering and diversion 2023-12 · Janesville, WI · Hospital / health system
- Norfolk Children's Hospital Pays Civil Penalty for Unregistered Warehouse Fentanyl Gap 2023-11-16 · Norfolk, Virginia · Hospital / health system
- Boston-Area ER Nurse Sentenced for 412 Unauthorized Opioid Withdrawals 2023-11-15 · Boston, Massachusetts · Hospital / health system
- Iowa Nurse Pleads Guilty to Diverting Fentanyl from Waterloo Hospital via False Wasting 2023-10-11 · Waterloo, Iowa · Hospital / health system
- VA nurse pleaded guilty to stealing fentanyl, morphine and hydromorphone 2023-10 · Aurora, CO · Hospital / health system
- Traveling nurse fired from Little Rock hospital after positive fentanyl test; Arkansas board ordered cease and desist 2023-10 · Hospital / health system
- Agency nurse accused of diverting fentanyl at Watertown hospital; interim suspension 2023-10 · Watertown, WI · Hospital / health system
← Back to page 1 · ← All drugs and drug classes · Cases by state · Filter these cases in the case database · Check your own controls with the free assessment
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.
Would your controls have caught these?
The free self-assessment scores your own controls: 8 sections, 63 weighted items, a score for each section, and a PDF you can take to your committee. No account or login.
Start the free assessment