Morphine diversion cases
87 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 morphine; it also appears on the opioids page.
Monetary penalties stated
Median: $3,500
Smallest $400 · largest $44,000
Median of 10 amounts in US dollars (civil settlements and penalties, criminal fines, restitution, forfeiture) stated in 8 of 87 records. 79 records state no dollar amount.
Custodial sentences stated
Shortest: 3 months
Longest: 111 months
28 prison or jail terms stated in 28 of 87 records. Probation, supervised release, home confinement and suspended terms are not counted.
Roles named in the records
| Role | Records |
|---|---|
| Nurse (role unspecified) | 51 |
| Pharmacist | 8 |
| Registered nurse (RN) | 7 |
| Not stated in the record or its title | 6 |
| Physician / surgeon | 6 |
| Licensed practical / vocational nurse | 3 |
| Pharmacy technician | 3 |
| Paramedic / EMT | 2 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | 1 |
From the Role field (12) or, where the record has none, the case title (69).
States with the most records
| State | Records |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 10 |
| Iowa | 6 |
| Indiana | 5 |
| Illinois | 4 |
| Maryland | 4 |
| Wisconsin | 4 |
| Colorado | 3 |
| Connecticut | 3 |
37 states and territories in all; every state.
Settings involved
| Setting | Records |
|---|---|
| Hospital / health system | 39 |
| Other / not classified | 32 |
| Long-term care | 6 |
| Retail pharmacy | 5 |
| Emergency services / EMS | 2 |
| Home health / hospice | 2 |
| No setting stated | 1 |
Other drugs and classes
Cases
Newest first · page 1 of 4, 1–25 of 87
- Pediatric intensive care nurse sentenced after guilty plea to obtaining morphine by fraud 2026-09 · Baltimore, MD · Hospital / health system
- Registered nurse accused of diverting morphine from OrthoNebraska surgical unit 2026-08 · Omaha, NE · Other / not classified
- 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
- Tampa Bay Nurse Sentenced to Two Years for Tampering with and Stealing Injectable Opioids 2026-06-11 · Tampa, Florida · Hospital / health system
- Utah Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Utah · Other / not classified
- New Hampshire emergency department nurse pleaded guilty after keeping partial opioid doses 2025-12 · Hospital / health system
- Illinois hospital nurse fired over suspected opioid diversion loses federal discrimination appeal 2025-08-14 · Hospital / health system
- Facility Administrator Sentenced for Diverting Opioids From Five Senior-Care Facilities 2025-05-28 · Iowa · Other / not classified
- Illinois nursing-facility administrator sentenced to probation for diverting opioids from emergency kits and medication carts 2025-05-28 · Other / not classified
- Oklahoma hospital night-shift nurse disciplined after morphine waste questioned and patient reported no dose 2025-05-20 · Hospital / health system
- Traveling Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Morphine at Massachusetts Rehabilitation Facility 2025-04-04 · Danvers, Massachusetts · Other / not classified
- Contract Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Morphine at Kentucky Elder-Care Facility 2025-03-25 · Lawrenceburg, Kentucky · Other / not classified
- Kentucky Nurse Sentenced Over Elder-Care Morphine Substitution 2025-03-24 · Lawrenceburg, Kentucky · Other / not classified
- New Hampshire Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2025) 2025 · New Hampshire · Other / not classified
- Iowa Nurse Sentenced in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2025, case 2) 2025 · Iowa · Hospital / health system
- 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
- 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
- Hospice Nurse Stole Morphine from Dying Patient, Replaced with Cranberry Juice 2024-01 · Clifton, Texas · Home health / hospice
- Utah Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Utah · Other / not classified
- Nebraska Nurse Faces License Action Over Opioid Diversion (2024) 2024 · Nebraska · Other / not classified
- Kentucky Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Kentucky · Other / not classified
- Boston-Area ER Nurse Sentenced for 412 Unauthorized Opioid Withdrawals 2023-11-15 · Boston, 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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