Diversion Case Studies

Kansas Pharmacist Indicted for Stealing Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin and Oxycodone from Employer

Maize, Kansas

Logan Marshall Abbott, 33, of Maize, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Wichita on one count of acquiring a controlled substance by deception and subterfuge. He allegedly used his position as a pharmacist to take amphetamine, lisdexamfetamine, methylphenidate, and oxycodone from his former employer.

Vermont hospital endoscopy unit nurse diverted fentanyl and sedatives intended for patients

Barre, Vermont

A licensed practical nurse who worked in the endoscopy unit of Central Vermont Medical Center is alleged to have fraudulently obtained fentanyl, meperidine, and midazolam intended for patients between January and October 2025, for her own personal use. She was charged with one felony count of fraud or deceit involving a regulated drug and pleaded not guilty at her arraignment on March 5, 2026. The hospital said an internal review found no evidence that patient care was compromised, and the employee was terminated.

Rehabilitation center nurse accused of stealing patients' painkillers and drug logs

Sandy, UT

A registered nurse working at a rehabilitation center in Sandy, Utah was arrested after police said medications and drug logs were found in a bag in a garage cabinet, according to a probable cause statement. Police said the prescriptions included painkillers such as Oxycodone, Methadone, Tramadol and Gabapentin, and that patients listed in the logs said they never gave any employee permission to take their medication. The nurse was charged with one felony count of pattern of unlawful activity and several misdemeanors including theft and intentional abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult; police stated the nurse admitted to stealing medications over the last two months and said he took drugs from patients with multiple packs knowing they would not notice.

Michigan Registered Nurse Summarily Suspended Over Grass Lake Drug Diversion

Grass Lake, Michigan

A Michigan registered nurse in Grass Lake was summarily suspended after the state licensing bureau's disciplinary action report cited an alcohol-related conviction, drug diversion, and incompetence as the basis for action.

Cheshire APRN Illegally Distributed Amphetamines and Benzodiazepines

Cheshire, Connecticut

Michele Rene Muzyka, 61, an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, unlawfully distributed amphetamines and benzodiazepines to individuals without a legitimate medical need between January 2024 and June 2025. She skipped medical examinations, charged $200 cash per visit, and prescribed Schedule II and IV controlled substances — including to an undercover agent posing as a Medicaid beneficiary. She pleaded guilty on January 21, 2026 to possession with intent to distribute, distribution, and dispensing of controlled substances.

Seattle Anesthesiology Resident Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl and Hydromorphone While Treating Children

Seattle, Washington

Andrew Voegel-Podadera, 36, a former anesthesiology resident at Seattle Children's Hospital, Harborview Medical Center and UW Medical Center, was sentenced on February 2, 2026 for stealing narcotics and refilling vials with saline. He surrendered his medical license for at least five years.

ER charge nurse self-reported diverting medication wastes for personal use at Ascension St. Vincent Anderson

Anderson, IN

A registered nurse who was a charge nurse in the emergency department self-reported termination from Ascension St. Vincent Anderson for violating the drug policy by diverting medication wastes for personal use. The nurse enrolled in IPRP in August 2025 and signed a three-year monitoring agreement, with a sober date of August 7, 2025, and a diagnosis of moderate opiate use disorder. The board recommended renewal on probation for the length of the monitoring agreement, along with CEUs and referral of pending criminal charges to the attorney general.

Nurse charged with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit and wasting narcotics at Community North

A registered nurse was charged with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit, a Level 6 felony, and entered a diversion program that was completed with charges dismissed and expunged in October 2025. The nurse self-reported to ISNAP and entered a monitoring agreement after a suspension of diversion due to wasting of narcotics at work and a positive test for marijuana. The board recommended renewal free and clear, noting compliance with ISNAP and a voluntarily extended monitoring agreement.

Hospital nurse found with Dilaudid and Hydrocodone waste in pocket from work

A registered nurse at Methodist Hospital was charged with possession of a narcotic drug and public intoxication, and was found with waste in a pocket from work consisting of a Dilaudid pill and a Hydrocodone pill. The nurse pled guilty to possession of a narcotic drug in January 2025 and completed probation in January 2026; the nurse was terminated from the hospital in August 2024. The board recommended renewal on indefinite probation, reengagement with ISNAP, and a three-to-five-year monitoring agreement.

Registered nurse alleged to have obtained controlled substances from a Texas pharmacy using unauthorized prescriptions and co-worker prescriber numbers

A registered nurse employed in Texas was alleged to have obtained Zolpidem Tartrate, Eszopiclone, Acetaminophen-Codeine #3, Guaifenesin-Codeine, Butalbital-Acetaminophen-Caffeine, and Hydrocodone from a Texas pharmacy for themself and a family member between January 14, 2022, and May 15, 2024. The nurse allegedly used unauthorized electronically communicated prescriptions and the names and Drug Enforcement Administration numbers of three co-worker prescribers. The nurse neither admitted nor denied the allegations but agreed to a stipulated order placing the registered nurse license on probation for 24 months, with monitoring to begin upon return to supervised nursing practice.

Kansas Pharmacy Technician Indicted for Stealing Adderall and Ritalin

Russell, Kansas

Janice Mae Brown, 39, of Russell, Kansas, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Wichita on one count of acquiring a controlled substance by deception and subterfuge. She allegedly used her position as a pharmacy technician to remove amphetamine and methylphenidate from her employer's inventory without authorization.

Pensacola Pharmacist and Conspirator Charged with Illegal Drug Diversion Conspiracy

Pensacola, Florida

Douglas Craig Reid Jr., 47, a pharmacist, and Martrice Lamar Portis, 47, were charged in federal court with conspiracy to unlawfully dispense and distribute controlled substances. The case is part of the DEA Northern District of Florida enforcement actions targeting pharmacists who divert prescription drugs outside legitimate medical practice.

Portland Mental Health Clinic Pays $20,000 to Settle Controlled Substances Act Violations

Portland, Maine

Riverbird, LLC, a Portland-based mental health clinic, and two of its providers agreed to pay $20,000 to resolve civil Controlled Substances Act claims following a DEA diversion audit. Investigators alleged clinic practitioners knew about drug diversion by one of the clinic's own doctors but failed to report it to DEA, never conducted an initial controlled-substances inventory after a change in clinic ownership, and disposed of a Schedule IV drug with only a handwritten note instead of the required DEA form. The settlement, announced January 26, 2026, includes no admission of liability and a three-year DEA Memorandum of Understanding.

Portland Veterinarian Diverted Controlled Substances, Replaced with Saline

Portland, Oregon

Dr. Brenda Brown-Carlson, a Portland veterinarian, diverted hydromorphone (Schedule II), buprenorphine (Schedule III), and butorphanol (Schedule IV) for personal use and refilled the vials with saline, compromising treatment of more than 200 animals at two clinics. Video surveillance caught her diverting and refilling; she initially denied it, then admitted the conduct. She was sentenced on January 13, 2026 to 60 months of supervised probation after pleading guilty to tampering with drug records, computer crimes, and attempted animal neglect.

Michigan Pharmacist Fined and Probated Over Big Rapids Drug Diversion

Big Rapids, Michigan

A Michigan pharmacist in Big Rapids was fined and placed on probation after the state licensing bureau's disciplinary action report cited drug diversion and incompetence as the basis for action.

Michigan Pharmacist Fined Over Utica Drug Diversion and Alcohol Conviction

Utica, Michigan

A Michigan pharmacist in Utica was fined and placed on probation after the state licensing bureau's disciplinary action report cited an alcohol-related conviction and drug diversion as the basis for action.

Former Boston-Area ICU Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl and Versed from Intubated Patient

Needham, Massachusetts

Ariana Foley, 37, of Needham, was sentenced to three years of probation and 100 hours of community service for diverting benzodiazepine medication from a Boston-area hospital while working as an ICU nurse. She checked out Versed and fentanyl for an intubated patient but diverted the drugs instead.

Michigan Registered Nurse Fined and Probated Over Southgate Drug Diversion

Southgate, Michigan

A Michigan registered nurse in Southgate was fined and placed on probation after the state licensing bureau's disciplinary action report cited drug diversion, incompetence, and lack of good moral character as the basis for action.

Littleton Oral Surgery Assistant Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl Vials

Littleton, Colorado

Amber June Hyatt, 47, of Evergreen, Colorado, worked as a surgical assistant at an oral surgery practice in Littleton when her roommate found fentanyl vials and vial safety caps in her purse and reported it, prompting the practice to alert the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. An investigation found boxes of fentanyl citrate in the practice's controlled-substance safe had been tampered with, and lab testing of a subset of vials found seven contained a replacement liquid, one of which was also contaminated with bacteria. Hyatt pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product and was sentenced on January 14, 2026, to one year and one day in federal prison plus two years of supervised release.

Michigan Social Worker Probated Over Hamtramck Drug Diversion

Hamtramck, Michigan

A Michigan licensed master's social worker in Hamtramck was placed on probation upon reinstatement after the state licensing bureau's disciplinary action report cited drug diversion and an order violation as the basis for action.

Tennessee EMS board accepts surrender of emergency medical technician over Hornbeak diversion

Hornbeak, Tennessee

The Tennessee Board of Emergency Medical Services disciplined a advanced emergency medical technician in Hornbeak over controlled-substance diversion, according to the January 2026 disciplinary action report. The order records that the licensee diverted controlled substances from their employer, and the board accepted a voluntary surrender of the license. A board order is an administrative finding on the board's own investigation, not a criminal conviction, and the report states no quantity.

Tennessee EMS board revokes paramedic over Hendersonville diversion

Hendersonville, Tennessee

The Tennessee Board of Emergency Medical Services disciplined a paramedic in Hendersonville over controlled-substance diversion, according to the January 2026 disciplinary action report. The order records that the licensee diverted controlled substances from their employer, and the board revoked the license. A board order is an administrative finding on the board's own investigation, not a criminal conviction, and the report states no quantity.

South Carolina Unlicensed Caregiver Charged Over Care Facility Oxycodone Theft

Piedmont, South Carolina

The South Carolina Attorney General's office announced charges against a Piedmont woman who continued to practice and hold herself out as a Director of Nursing at Cherrydale Post Acute in Greenville after her nursing license had been suspended by the South Carolina Board of Nursing, and who is also accused of stealing a quantity of Oxycodone from another person.

Appleton Nurse Practitioner Sentenced for Unlawful Opioid Prescribing Scheme

Appleton, Wisconsin

Jessica Friday, an advanced practice nurse practitioner from Appleton, Wisconsin, was sentenced December 18, 2025 to 16 months in federal prison for distributing controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice. Between 2020 and 2024, Friday prescribed opioids including oxycodone to patients without medical necessity, under an arrangement where patients filled the prescriptions and gave her half or more of the pills for her own use.

Nursing Director Pleads Guilty to Tampering With Fentanyl at Montana Health Center

Jordan, Montana

The Director of Nursing at Garfield County Health Center in Jordan, Montana, was found in January 2023 to have tampered with numerous vials of fentanyl and other controlled substances in her locked office, removing and replacing caps or emptying vials entirely. Staff who entered her office to retrieve a narcotics log discovered hospital stock narcotics, IV equipment, replacement vial caps and labels, and what appeared to be blood on surfaces, then reported concerns that patients may have received saline instead of pain medication. An FDA forensic chemist confirmed the seized containers had been tampered with and adulterated. She pleaded guilty in December 2025 to tampering with a consumer product and faces sentencing in 2026.