Nurse stole liquid fentanyl from patients’ IV pumps in Iowa, feds say

Liquid fentanyl intended for patients was stolen by an Iowa nurse using a syringe, according to federal authorities.

Ryan William Thornton, 27, admitted to taking the fentanyl from patients’ IV pumps while working as a nurse, according to a Nov. 22 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa.

He took the drug “for his own personal use,” prosecutors said.

He pleaded guilty on Nov. 21 to “acquiring fentanyl by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge,” according to the news release.

Thornton’s defense attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

The Clear Lake man faces up to four years in prison followed by a year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

Clear Lake is about 115 miles north of Des Moines.

This story was originally published November 22, 2022 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Nurse stole liquid fentanyl from patients’ IV pumps in Iowa, feds say."