Opioid diversion cases
588 documented cases, 1983–2026.
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 a opioid (buprenorphine, codeine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, meperidine, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, sufentanil, tramadol).
Monetary penalties stated
Median: $27,250
Smallest $400 · largest $4,500,000
Median of 84 amounts in US dollars (civil settlements and penalties, criminal fines, restitution, forfeiture) stated in 74 of 588 records. 514 records state no dollar amount.
Custodial sentences stated
Shortest: 1 month
Longest: 468 months (39 years)
133 prison or jail terms stated in 130 of 588 records. Probation, supervised release, home confinement and suspended terms are not counted.
Roles named in the records
| Role | Records |
|---|---|
| Nurse (role unspecified) | 215 |
| Pharmacist | 75 |
| Pharmacy technician | 72 |
| Physician / surgeon | 68 |
| Not stated in the record or its title | 67 |
| Registered nurse (RN) | 41 |
| Licensed practical / vocational nurse | 11 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | 10 |
| Nurse practitioner / APRN | 8 |
| Paramedic / EMT | 8 |
| Dentist / oral surgery | 4 |
| Nurse aide / assistant | 3 |
| Surgical / OR technician | 3 |
| Veterinarian | 3 |
From the Role field (105) or, where the record has none, the case title (416).
States with the most records
| State | Records |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 26 |
| New York | 24 |
| Maryland | 21 |
| Illinois | 19 |
| Florida | 18 |
| Iowa | 18 |
| Michigan | 17 |
| Connecticut | 16 |
52 states and territories in all; every state.
Settings involved
| Setting | Records |
|---|---|
| Other / not classified | 235 |
| Hospital / health system | 199 |
| Retail pharmacy | 100 |
| Long-term care | 19 |
| Ambulatory surgery / OR | 9 |
| Dental / oral surgery | 6 |
| Emergency services / EMS | 5 |
| Home health / hospice | 5 |
| Fertility / reproductive | 2 |
| No setting stated | 8 |
Drugs named
| Drug | Records |
|---|---|
| oxycodone | 248 |
| fentanyl | 181 |
| hydrocodone | 157 |
| hydromorphone | 124 |
| morphine | 87 |
| alprazolam | 31 |
| methadone | 23 |
| tramadol | 23 |
| codeine | 16 |
| amphetamine | 14 |
| meperidine | 14 |
| lorazepam | 11 |
| midazolam | 9 |
| propofol | 5 |
| ketamine | 4 |
| buprenorphine | 2 |
| methylphenidate | 2 |
| sufentanil | 2 |
| phenobarbital | 1 |
| testosterone | 1 |
A record naming two drugs counts under both.
Other drugs and classes
Cases
Newest first · page 1 of 24, 1–25 of 588
- Florida Pharmacist Sentenced to Over 7 Years in Prison for Massive Illegal Oxycodone Distribution Conspiracy 2026-10-30 · Margate and Pembroke Pines, Florida · Other / not classified
- Emergency Department Physician Pleads Guilty to 19 Counts of Illegally Prescribing Opioids and Stimulants 2026-10-21 · Pensacola, Florida · Hospital / health system
- Fitchburg Nursing Facility LPN Replaced Hospice Patients' Oxycodone with Lookalike Pills 2026-09-23 · Fitchburg, MA · Long-term care
- Fort Walton Beach Gastroenterologist Pays $300,000 to Settle Controlled Substances Act Prescribing Allegations 2026-09-21 · Fort Walton Beach, Florida · Other / not classified
- Denver Hospital Case Coordinator Sentenced to 18 Months for Tampering With Patients' Oxycodone Prescriptions 2026-09-17 · Denver, Colorado · Hospital / health system
- Pediatric intensive care nurse sentenced after guilty plea to obtaining morphine by fraud 2026-09 · Baltimore, MD · Hospital / health system
- Edmond hospital employee charged with stealing fentanyl waste from OU Health 2026-09 · Edmond, OK · Other / not classified
- Virginia Physician's DEA Registration Revoked After Concurrent Opioid-Benzodiazepine Prescribing Killed Two Patients 2026-08-28 · Great Falls, Virginia · Other / not classified
- Former VA Medical Center Nurse Indicted for Stealing Hydromorphone 2026-08-21 · Minneapolis, Minnesota · Hospital / health system
- Celina Pharmacy Owner and Two Pharmacies Banned from Handling Controlled Substances 2026-08-10 · Celina, Tennessee · Retail pharmacy
- Registered nurse accused of diverting morphine from OrthoNebraska surgical unit 2026-08 · Omaha, NE · Other / not classified
- Missouri nurse forged oxycodone and Percocet prescriptions using a coworker's pad and DEA number 2026-07-10 · Hospital / health system
- LeMars Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl and Hydromorphone, Falsifying Patient Records 2026-07-09 · LeMars, Iowa · Other / not classified
- Yellow Springs pharmacy oxycodone/acetaminophen substitution found during inventory 2026-07 · Yellow Springs, OH · Retail pharmacy
- Registered nurse charged with unlawfully obtaining oxycodone, hydromorphone and fentanyl at a Horry County hospital 2026-07 · Horry County, SC · Hospital / health system
- 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
- Peoria Pharmacist Forged Oxycodone Prescriptions for Personal Use and Sale 2026-06-24 · Peoria, Arizona
- Indiana assisted-living nurse charged over oxycodone cart discrepancies 2026-06-17 · Other / not classified
- Tampa Bay Nurse Sentenced to Two Years for Tampering with and Stealing Injectable Opioids 2026-06-11 · Tampa, Florida · Hospital / health system
- Puerto Rico nurse anesthetist indicted on federal charges of tampering with fentanyl vials 2026-06-02
- Puerto Rico Anesthesia Nurse Indicted for Replacing Fentanyl with Clear Liquid 2026-06-02 · San Juan, Puerto Rico · Ambulatory surgery / OR
- Utah nurse charged after police found thousands of prescription pills in home safe 2026-06 · Other / not classified
- Licensed pharmacist charged with diverting oxycodone via fraudulent prescriptions for personal use and sale 2026-06 · Peoria, AZ · Other / not classified
- Metro-Detroit pharmacy technician pleads guilty to health care fraud and illegal oxycodone distribution 2026-05-01 · Other / not classified
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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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