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 4 of 24, 76–100 of 588
- Chicago pharmacy settles Controlled Substances Act claims after technicians stole hydrocodone 2025-09-15 · Retail pharmacy
- Chicago pharmacy settles federal claims after technicians diverted hydrocodone 2025-09-15 · Retail pharmacy
- Registered nurse stole fentanyl vials at work and altered medication logs to conceal theft 2025-09 · Other / not classified
- Illinois hospital nurse fired over suspected opioid diversion loses federal discrimination appeal 2025-08-14 · Hospital / health system
- Oklahoma grocery-chain pharmacy technician admitted stealing and selling hydrocodone and alprazolam 2025-08-13 · Retail pharmacy
- Stamford Nurse Tampered with Hydromorphone and Fentanyl Vials 2025-08-12 · Stamford, Connecticut · Other / not classified
- Lakeland Nurse Sentenced to 5+ Years for Stealing Fentanyl at Five Tampa Bay Hospitals 2025-08-08 · Lakeland, Florida · Hospital / health system
- West Virginia Veterinarian Ordered to Pay $956,709 Over Unaccounted-For Opioids 2025-08-05 · Winfield, West Virginia · Other / not classified
- Pharmacy Owner Sentenced for Diverting Opioids From His Own Iowa Pharmacy 2025-07-28 · Fairfield, Iowa · Retail pharmacy
- Traveling Nurse Diverted Hydromorphone from Beckley Hospital Using Patients' Health Information 2025-07-03 · Beckley, WV · Hospital / health system
- Travel Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Hydromorphone at West Virginia Hospital 2025-07-03 · Beckley, West Virginia · Hospital / health system
- Travel nurse at Beckley hospital diverted hydromorphone, sentenced to five years 2025-07 · Hospital / health system
- Pharmacist Sentenced for Diverting Controlled Substances From Mason City Pharmacies 2025-06-17 · Mason City, Iowa · Other / not classified
- 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
- Oklahoma pharmacy technician altered oxycodone counts under coworkers' credentials and sold the pills 2025-05-07 · Retail pharmacy
- Pharmacist and Spouse Sentenced for Diverting Opioids From Kentucky Pharmacy 2025-05-05 · Franklin, Kentucky · Retail pharmacy
- Detroit-area emergency room nurse pleads guilty to tampering with fentanyl vials 2025-05 · Hospital / health system
- Traveling Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Morphine at Massachusetts Rehabilitation Facility 2025-04-04 · Danvers, Massachusetts · Other / not classified
- Nurse Anesthetist Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl from ~50 Patients 2025-04-02 · Dubuque, Iowa · Hospital / health system
- Nebraska Nurse Charged Over Surgery Center Propofol and Fentanyl Theft 2025-04 · North Platte, Nebraska · Ambulatory surgery / OR
- 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
- South Carolina Practical Nurse Charged Over Nursing Home Tramadol Theft 2025-03-18 · Myrtle Beach, South Carolina · 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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