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 6 of 24, 126–150 of 588
- Iowa Pharmacist Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2025) 2025 · Iowa · Retail pharmacy
- Iowa Nurse Sentenced in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2025, case 2) 2025 · Iowa · Hospital / health system
- District of Columbia Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2025) 2025 · District of Columbia · Other / not classified
- California Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2025) 2025 · California · Other / not classified
- Arkansas Pharmacist Convicted in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2025) 2025 · Arkansas · Retail pharmacy
- Arkansas Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2025) 2025 · Arkansas · Other / not classified
- Alabama Nurse Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2025, case 2) 2025 · Alabama · Long-term care
- Osage Beach Nurse Anesthetist Diverted Fentanyl from Hospital Operating Rooms 2024-12-16 · Osage Beach, Missouri · Hospital / health system
- Travel Nurse Diverted Hydromorphone Using Patients' Health Information 2024-12-11 · Beckley, West Virginia · Hospital / health system
- Physician diverted Demerol from patients for personal use 2024-12 · Dallas, TX · Other / not classified
- California pharmacist sentenced to more than seven years for dispensing over 450,000 opioid pills on fraudulent prescriptions 2024-11-25 · Retail pharmacy
- Mid-Valley Hospital Pays $15,000 Penalty Over Nurse's Hydromorphone Theft 2024-11-15 · Omak, Washington · Hospital / health system
- Berlin pain practice, physician and physician assistant settled claims over prescribing after inconsistent drug tests 2024-10-23 · Other / not classified
- Concord Hospital Nurse Diverted Fentanyl from ICU Patient's IV Line 2024-10-07 · Concord, New Hampshire · Hospital / health system
- WakeMed nurse charged with stealing fentanyl from IV bag 2024-10 · Raleigh, NC · Other / not classified
- Dedham Rehabilitation Center Nurse Tampered with Oxycodone Syringes 2024-09-17 · Dedham, Massachusetts · Other / not classified
- VA Nurse Diverted Narcotics from Dying Veterans at West Haven VA 2024-09-12 · West Haven, Connecticut · Hospital / health system
- Former nurse accused of replacing fentanyl with tap water in IV drips at Oregon hospital 2024-09 · Medford, OR · Hospital / health system
- Gate City Pharmacist Tampered with Oxycodone and Hydromorphone Tablets 2024-08-26 · Gate City, Virginia · Retail pharmacy
- Pharmacist-in-charge convicted of conspiring to dispense oxycodone through a co-owned pharmacy to individuals with illegitimate prescriptions 2024-08 · Retail pharmacy
- Hospital certified nursing assistant and registered medical assistant charged with diverting oxycodone from a patient 2024-08 · Spokane County, Washington · Hospital / health system
- Hospital Pharmacy Manager Stole 35,000+ Opioid Vials from Secure Vault 2024-07-28 · Muncie, Indiana · Hospital / health system
- Oklahoma City Anesthesiologist Convicted of Diverting Hospital Opioids 2024-07-11 · Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · Hospital / health system
- Manchester hospital agreed to pay $300,000 to resolve controlled-substance recordkeeping allegations after fentanyl diversion 2024-07-08 · Hospital / health system
- Catholic Medical Center Pays $300,000 Over CRNA's Fentanyl Diversion 2024-07-03 · Manchester, New Hampshire · 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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