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 4 of 8, 76–100 of 181
- Janesville Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl Vials 2023-09-14 · Janesville, Wisconsin · Hospital / health system
- Registered nurse convicted of tampering with fentanyl citrate vials and obtaining controlled substance by fraud at Chamberlain hospital 2023-09 · Chamberlain, SD · Hospital / health system
- ICU nurse at Mercy Hospital in Ardmore pleaded guilty to stealing fentanyl and hydromorphone and swapping pain medication with tap water 2023-09 · Ardmore, OK · Hospital / health system
- Hospital nurse tampered with fentanyl vial, replacing drug with saline 2023-09 · Pierre, SD · Hospital / health system
- Sioux City Nurse Pleads Guilty to Stealing Opioids from Hospital Employer 2023-08-31 · Sioux City, Iowa · Hospital / health system
- Ardmore ICU Nurse Pleads Guilty to Replacing Patients' Pain Medication With Tap Water 2023-08-31 · Ardmore, Oklahoma · Hospital / health system
- Surgery Center RN Sentenced for Swapping Fentanyl for Saline in ~450 Vials 2023-06-27 · Jensen Beach, Florida · Other / not classified
- New Hampshire hospital paid $2 million to settle DEA record-keeping allegations after fentanyl diversion 2023-06-22 · Hospital / health system
- Cheshire Medical Center Pays $2 Million After Nurse Stole Fentanyl IV Bags 2023-06-22 · Keene, New Hampshire · Hospital / health system
- Raleigh-Area Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Surgical Patients' Painkillers 2023-05-22 · Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina · Other / not classified
- Cape Girardeau Nurse Admits Taking Leftover Fentanyl from Hospital 2023-05-05 · Cape Girardeau, Missouri · Hospital / health system
- Surgical practice nurse sentenced for tampering with fentanyl, morphine, and meperidine and replacing them with saline 2023-05 · Raleigh, NC · Other / not classified
- Denver Paramedic Supervisor Sentenced for Stealing 1,900 Vials of Fentanyl 2023-04-19 · Denver, Colorado · Hospital / health system
- Hospital nurse accused of diverting fentanyl from CHI Health St. Elizabeth 2023-04 · Lincoln, NE · Other / not classified
- Missoula Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Opioids Flagged by Distribution Audit 2023-03-22 · Missoula, Montana · Hospital / health system
- Kansas hospital nurse sentenced for tampering with fentanyl and hydromorphone vials 2023-03-13 · Hospital / health system
- Kansas Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Fentanyl and Hydromorphone Vials 2023-03-13 · Overland Park, Kansas · Hospital / health system
- Massachusetts Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl at Hospital and Surgery Center 2023-01-10 · Massachusetts · Hospital / health system
- Pain clinic nurse practitioner conspired to dispense fentanyl by forging a physician's signature on prescriptions 2023-01 · Other / not classified
- South Dakota Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2023) 2023 · South Dakota · Other / not classified
- New Hampshire Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2023) 2023 · New Hampshire · Other / not classified
- Massachusetts Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2023, case 2) 2023 · Massachusetts · Other / not classified
- Massachusetts Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2023) 2023 · Massachusetts · Other / not classified
- Indiana Nurse Sentenced in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2023) 2023 · Indiana · Other / not classified
- Illinois Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2023) 2023 · Illinois · Hospital / health system
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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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