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 2 of 24, 26–50 of 588
- South Carolina Practical Nurse Charged Over Care Facility Oxycodone Theft 2026-05 · Simpsonville, South Carolina · Other / not classified
- Metro-Detroit pharmacy technician pleaded guilty to health care fraud and illegal oxycodone distribution 2026-05 · Other / not classified
- Licensed practical nurse charged with stealing oxycodone from resident at Simpsonville Post Acute 2026-05 · Greenville County, SC · Other / not classified
- Indiana Emergency Nurse Sentenced Over Fentanyl Documentation Falsification 2026-05 · Fort Wayne, Indiana · Hospital / health system
- Montana Health Center Nursing Director Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl 2026-04-29 · Jordan, Montana · Other / not classified
- Chesapeake Hospital Nurse Pleads Guilty to Diverting Hydromorphone From Cancer and Sickle-Cell Patients 2026-04-24 · Chesapeake, Virginia · Hospital / health system
- Former Nurse Practitioner Pleads Guilty to Redistributing Patients' Unused Opioid Pills 2026-04-13 · Auburn, New York · Other / not classified
- Registered nurse removed fentanyl from medication safe without order or documentation and failed to document controlled substance administration/wasting; license revoked 2026-04 · Hospital / health system
- Hospital nurse accused of stealing opioids from patients at Grand Strand Medical Center 2026-04 · Horry County, SC · Hospital / health system
- Kansas Pharmacist Indicted for Stealing Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin and Oxycodone from Employer 2026-03-30 · Maize, Kansas · Other / not classified
- Vermont hospital endoscopy unit nurse diverted fentanyl and sedatives intended for patients 2026-03-05 · Barre, Vermont · Hospital / health system
- Rehabilitation center nurse accused of stealing patients' painkillers and drug logs 2026-03 · Sandy, UT · Other / not classified
- Seattle Anesthesiology Resident Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl and Hydromorphone While Treating Children 2026-02-02 · Seattle, Washington · Hospital / health system
- Registered nurse alleged to have obtained controlled substances from a Texas pharmacy using unauthorized prescriptions and co-worker prescriber numbers 2026-02 · Retail pharmacy
- Hospital nurse found with Dilaudid and Hydrocodone waste in pocket from work 2026-02 · Hospital / health system
- Portland Veterinarian Diverted Controlled Substances, Replaced with Saline 2026-01-20 · Portland, Oregon · Other / not classified
- Former Boston-Area ICU Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl and Versed from Intubated Patient 2026-01-15 · Needham, Massachusetts · Hospital / health system
- Littleton Oral Surgery Assistant Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl Vials 2026-01-14 · Littleton, Colorado · Other / not classified
- Vermont Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Vermont · Hospital / health system
- Utah Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Utah · Other / not classified
- South Carolina Nurse Charged in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · South Carolina · Other / not classified
- Puerto Rico Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Puerto Rico · Ambulatory surgery / OR
- Pennsylvania Pharmacy Technician Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Pennsylvania · Retail pharmacy
- Oregon Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Oregon · Other / not classified
- Oklahoma Prescriber Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Oklahoma · 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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