Detroit nurse admits to stealing fentanyl from hospital
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A nurse in a Detroit emergency room pleaded guilty recently to stealing fentanyl from the hospital.
Travis Eskridge, 53, of Grosse Pointe Park, entered a guilty plea to a tampering with a consumer product charge.
The backstory:
While working at Ascension St. John Hospital, authorities say Eskridge was stealing fentanyl, a powerful pain medication, from vials and replacing the narcotic with a different liquid. This happened over a period of several months.
Eskridge was fired after the theft was discovered in August 2022. As part of his plea, Eskridge admitted to this tampering and theft.
He faces up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $250,000 when he is sentenced on Sept. 11.
"Patients rely on receiving the proper FDA-approved medications from those entrusted with their medical care," said Special Agent in Charge Ronne Malham, Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, Chicago Field Office. "We must hold medical personnel accountable when they take advantage of their unique position and tamper with medications their patients need."
The Source: This information is from a Department of Justice press release.