Methadone diversion cases
23 documented cases, 2011–2026.
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 methadone; it also appears on the opioids page.
Monetary penalties stated
Median: $29,500
Smallest $25,000 · largest $44,000
Median of 3 amounts in US dollars (civil settlements and penalties, criminal fines, restitution, forfeiture) stated in 3 of 23 records. 20 records state no dollar amount.
Custodial sentences stated
Shortest: 12 months
Longest: 120 months (10 years)
5 prison or jail terms stated in 5 of 23 records. Probation, supervised release, home confinement and suspended terms are not counted.
Roles named in the records
| Role | Records |
|---|---|
| Pharmacist | 8 |
| Physician / surgeon | 6 |
| Not stated in the record or its title | 5 |
| Pharmacy technician | 2 |
| Nurse (role unspecified) | 1 |
| Nurse practitioner / APRN | 1 |
From the Role field (6) or, where the record has none, the case title (12).
States with the most records
| State | Records |
|---|---|
| Indiana | 5 |
| Kentucky | 3 |
| Arkansas | 2 |
| Maryland | 2 |
| Alaska | 1 |
| Alabama | 1 |
| Kansas | 1 |
| Massachusetts | 1 |
15 states and territories in all; every state.
Settings involved
| Setting | Records |
|---|---|
| Other / not classified | 13 |
| Hospital / health system | 7 |
| Retail pharmacy | 3 |
Other drugs and classes
Cases
Newest first
- Muncie hospital pharmacy license put on probation after pharmacy manager diverted opioids using unused transaction types 2026-07 · Muncie, IN · Hospital / health system
- Indiana hospital pharmacy placed on probation after multi-year opioid diversion by pharmacy manager 2026-07 · Hospital / health system
- Rehabilitation center nurse accused of stealing patients' painkillers and drug logs 2026-03 · Sandy, UT · Other / not classified
- Indiana Pharmacist Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Indiana · Other / not classified
- Agency affiliated counselor alleged to have ingested unprescribed methadone while transporting clients 2025-11 · Other / not classified
- Arkansas Pharmacist Convicted in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2025) 2025 · Arkansas · Retail pharmacy
- Hospital Pharmacy Manager Stole 35,000+ Opioid Vials from Secure Vault 2024-07-28 · Muncie, Indiana · Hospital / health system
- Hospital pharmacy manager diverted hydromorphone, methadone and morphine from a CII safe using unused transaction types 2024-07 · Muncie, IN · Hospital / health system
- Texarkana pharmacist pleads guilty to falsifying records to conceal theft of methadone and other narcotics 2024-06 · Retail pharmacy
- Eastern Kentucky physician and clinic nurse sentenced for conspiracy to issue illegitimate opioid prescriptions 2024-03 · Other / not classified
- Kansas Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Kansas · Other / not classified
- Missouri Methadone Clinic Owner Admits Diluting Methadone to Conceal a Shortage from the DEA 2023-02-03 · Leadington, Missouri · Other / not classified
- Kentucky hospital agrees to $4.4 million civil penalty over recordkeeping that allowed pharmacy technician to divert 60,000 opioid doses 2022-12-08 · Hospital / health system
- Kentucky hospital pharmacy technician diverted over 60,000 opioid doses; hospital paid civil penalty 2022-12 · Hospital / health system
- Alaska Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2022) 2022 · Alaska · Other / not classified
- Maryland Prescriber Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2021) 2021 · Maryland · Other / not classified
- Farmville pharmacy and pharmacist-in-charge ordered to pay $600,000 and permanently barred from dispensing controlled substances 2020-02-03 · Retail pharmacy
- Nurse practitioner forged physicians' signatures to issue unauthorized controlled-substance prescriptions at two Montgomery pill-mill practices 2019-06 · Montgomery, AL · Other / not classified
- Pain clinic physician indicted for prescribing fentanyl, oxycodone and other controlled substances without patient examinations 2018-06 · Hamilton, OH · Other / not classified
- Casper physician suspended over alleged excessive painkiller prescriptions and oxycodone conspiracy 2016-12 · Casper, WY · Other / not classified
- Maryland Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2014) 2014 · Maryland · Other / not classified
- Psychiatrist found to have unlawfully possessed controlled substances taken back from patients and kept no required records 2013-09 · Albuquerque, NM · Other / not classified
- Psychiatric Hospital Settles Unregistered Methadone Clinic Allegations — Massachusetts, 2011 2011-09-27 · Georgetown, Massachusetts · 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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