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Pharmacist Admits Tampering with Infusion Narcotics

OCI BadgeDepartment of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Connecticut

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, December 13, 2019

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced CARL MANCINI, 43, of Wolcott, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to one count of tampering with a consumer product.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Mancini was employed as a licensed pharmacist by a Connecticut company that prepared home or hospice care intravenous infusions for a variety of medical conditions, including pain management.  As part of his duties, Mancini was responsible for formulating infusions of the correct concentration for specific patients pursuant to the orders of their physician.  Between approximately January and June 2019, Mancini accessed a secure area of his workplace and took vials of hydromorphone hydrochloride and morphine sulfate pentahydrate that were intended to be used to formulate infusion for patients.  He used a syringe to withdraw the narcotics from the vials and reinjected saline into the vial so that it would appear as if the narcotics were not missing.  In order to hide his tampering, Mancini used specialized crimping tools to reseal the vials.  He then returned the vials to the secure area at his workplace.

Mancini tampered with dozens of vials through this scheme.  Laboratory testing of a sample of vials Mancini tampered with revealed that virtually all of the active drug had been removed and replaced with saline.

Mancini is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford on March 11, 2020, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

Mancini is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.

This matter is being investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, the Cromwell Police Department and the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Drug Control Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.


Topic(s):
Consumer Protection
Prescription Drugs
Component(s):
USAO - Connecticut

 
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