Commerce City Man Indicted for Tampering with a Consumer Product
Department of Justice
District of Colorado
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 22, 2022
Denver – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Christopher Robert Pattinson, age 40, of Commerce City, has been indicted on charges of tampering with a consumer product and obtaining a controlled substance by deceit.
According to the indictment, between November 8, 2021, and January 13, 2022, the defendant, with reckless disregard for the risk that another person would be placed in danger of bodily injury, and under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to such risk, tampered with fentanyl, by removing fentanyl from 20 vials and replacing it with another substance. The indictment also states between November 5, 2018, and January 12, 2022, the defendant obtained fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, and subterfuge, by misrepresenting that a vial or vials of fentanyl were used for a patient, when in fact the defendant acquired and obtained the fentanyl for himself.
The defendant made his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty on August 22, 2022.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA OCI).
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Case number: 22-cr-0263
Topic(s):
Prescription Drugs
Component(s):
USAO - Colorado
Contact:
Deborah Takahara Public Affairs Specialist deborah.takahara@usdoj.gov