A former hospital pharmacy worker in Wayne NJ faces criminal charges for stealing Fentanyl from operating rooms.
The suspect is a 28-year-old man who lives in Totowa New Jersey and who previously worked at St. Joseph s Hospital in Wayne, NJ. The suspect s duties at the Wayne hospital included filling Pyxis machines that dispense medication during surgeries.
According to law enforcement officials, the suspect stole prescription medicine from dispensers in hospital operating rooms. The suspect reportedly took vials with Fentanyl, a powerful painkiller, and then substituted a colorless solution in the vials.
After stealing the prescription medication, the suspect allegedly returned the vials to the hospital pharmacy and claimed that they were defective.
Authorities investigated the suspect and eventually placed him under arrest.
Passaic County prosecutors charged the suspect with numerous crimes, including theft and drug tampering. Now the suspect has been indicted on the very serious criminal charges.
A conviction on the theft charges and the drug crime charges could lead to more than a decade behind bars.
The suspect has already been terminated from his job at the hospital in Wayne, New Jersey. Additionally, the suspect surrendered his pharmacy license and will not be allowed to work at a New Jersey hospital while the criminal charges remain pending.
For further information about this case, access the NJ.com article, “Hospital Pharmacy Tech Stole Fentanyl from Operating Room, Cops Say.”
