U.S. flag An official website of the United States government

On Oct. 1, 2024, the FDA began implementing a reorganization impacting many parts of the agency. We are in the process of updating FDA.gov content to reflect these changes.

  1. Home
  2. Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations
  3. Criminal Investigations
  4. Press Releases
  5. Nurse Sentenced to Prison for Tampering with Fentanyl Vials
  1. Press Releases

Nurse Sentenced to Prison for Tampering with Fentanyl Vials

OCI Badge

Department of Justice
District of Connecticut 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, September 22, 2022

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRYAN WILSON, 40, of Madison, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for tampering with fentanyl vials at the company where he was employed.  Judge Shea also ordered Wilson to pay a $5,000 fine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Wilson was employed as a nurse by The Vascular Experts, a Connecticut company that performs outpatient medical procedures.  As part of his duties, Wilson was responsible for conducting sedations on patients and he had access to the secure area in his workplace that contained vials of drugs used as anesthetics, including fentanyl.  In August and September 2021, Wilson took vials of fentanyl that were intended to be used to formulate infusion for patients.  He used a syringe to withdraw the fentanyl from the vials and reinjected saline into the vials so that it would appear as if none of the narcotics were missing.  When another nurse at the company noticed that vials had been tampered with, and Wilson was subsequently questioned by company officials, Wilson admitted that he stole the fentanyl and used it to treat a medical condition.

On February 10, 2022, Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product.

Wilson, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on January 9, 2023.

Wilson has surrendered his nursing license.

This matter was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; the DEA’s Hartford Diversion Control Division; and the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Drug Control Division.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.

Topic(s): 
Consumer Protection
Opioids
Prescription Drugs

Component(s): 
USAO - Connecticut

Back to Top