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

Nurse (role unspecified)107
Registered nurse (RN)17
Physician / surgeon16
Not stated in the record or its title14
Nurse anesthetist (CRNA)9
Paramedic / EMT7
Pharmacy technician5
Nurse practitioner / APRN2
Surgical / OR technician2
Dentist / oral surgery1
Pharmacist1

From the Role field (19) or, where the record has none, the case title (148).

States with the most records

Iowa13
New Hampshire11
Colorado10
Massachusetts10
Oklahoma9
Connecticut8
South Dakota8
Wisconsin8

44 states and territories in all; every state.

Settings involved

Hospital / health system101
Other / not classified57
Ambulatory surgery / OR9
Emergency services / EMS4
Dental / oral surgery2
Fertility / reproductive2
Home health / hospice1
Long-term care1
Retail pharmacy1
No setting stated3

Other drugs and classes

Cases

Newest first · page 6 of 8, 126–150 of 181

  1. South Dakota hospital nurse convicted of tampering with fentanyl vials and replacing contents with saline 2021-08 · Chamberlain, SD · Hospital / health system
  2. Nurse Tampered with Fentanyl Vials at Yale Fertility Clinic 2021-05-25 · Orange, Connecticut · Fertility / reproductive
  3. Nurse Arrested for Stealing 1,400+ Vials of Fentanyl from Long Island Hospital 2021-05-18 · Manhasset, New York · Hospital / health system
  4. Connecticut fertility clinic nurse replaced fentanyl with saline, leaving patients in pain 2021-03 · Fertility / reproductive
  5. Oklahoma physician, pharmacist and clinic owner sentenced over pre-signed prescription scheme 2021-02 · Retail pharmacy
  6. Maryland Prescriber Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2021) 2021 · Maryland · Other / not classified
  7. Louisiana Nurse Charged in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2021) 2021 · Louisiana · Other / not classified
  8. Southwest Michigan nurse summarily suspended over alleged fentanyl-for-saline substitution 2020-10-28 · Other / not classified
  9. Paramedic Stole and Diluted Ambulance Fentanyl and Hydromorphone 2020-09-17 · Carthage / Mount Vernon, Missouri · Emergency services / EMS
  10. Eastern Iowa ICU Nurse Sentenced for Stealing Patient's Fentanyl and Morphine 2020-06-26 · Cedar Rapids, Iowa · Hospital / health system
  11. ICU Nurse Steals Fentanyl IV Bags at Research Medical Center 2020-06-18 · Kansas City, Missouri · Hospital / health system
  12. South Dakota ICU nurse's lawsuit over termination for fentanyl discrepancies rejected on appeal 2020-06-17 · Hospital / health system
  13. South Dakota ICU nurse fired after fentanyl accountability review; wrongful-discharge suit fails on appeal 2020-06-17 · Hospital / health system
  14. ICU nurse at a Sioux Falls hospital accused of diverting fentanyl, lorazepam and hydromorphone after medication records review 2020-06 · Sioux Falls, SD · Hospital / health system
  15. CRNA Tampered with Fentanyl Vials at Charles City Hospital 2020-05-29 · Charles City, Iowa · Hospital / health system
  16. Nurse accused of diverting fentanyl and hydromorphone at Danville hospital 2020-05 · Danville, VA · Other / not classified
  17. Pembina County Long-Term Care Nurse Charged With Stealing Resident Narcotics 2020-04-13 · Mountain, North Dakota · Long-term care
  18. Air-Evacuation Paramedic Tampered with Fentanyl and Ketamine Vials 2019-12-09 · Weatherford, Oklahoma · Other / not classified
  19. ICU Nurse Sentenced for Stealing Fentanyl at Parker Adventist Hospital 2019-11-13 · Parker, Colorado · Hospital / health system
  20. Pain Clinic Nurse Accused of Replacing Stolen Fentanyl Vials 2019-10-31 · Greenville, MI · Other / not classified
  21. St. Francis Hospital Nurse Turned Off Infusion Pumps to Divert Narcotics 2019-08-14 · Hartford, CT · Hospital / health system
  22. Wausau Physician Pleads Guilty to Diverting Fentanyl Patches from Patients 2019-07-18 · Wausau, Wisconsin · Hospital / health system
  23. Nurse practitioner forged physicians' signatures to issue unauthorized controlled-substance prescriptions at two Montgomery pill-mill practices 2019-06 · Montgomery, AL · Other / not classified
  24. Boise Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl Vials from an Automated Dispensing Cabinet 2019-04-16 · Boise, ID · Hospital / health system
  25. Boise hospital nurse diverted fentanyl vials by falsifying dispensing-system records 2019-04 · Boise, ID · 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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