Florida nurse stole fentanyl, replaced it with saline

A Florida nurse has been sentenced to over two years in prison for stealing medication from patients. Emmanuel Valentin, 40, from Miami, pleaded guilty to tampering with medical products on December 13, 2024. The nurse was working at a cardiac catheterization lab when he took fentanyl and midazolam from patients’ vials. Instead of returning the drugs, he replaced them with saline solution. This misconduct occurred between July 10 and August 18, 2023. Prosecutors say Valentin used a syringe to extract the painkillers for his own use. He knew these medicines were necessary for patients undergoing medical procedures. His actions put patients at risk of serious infections. After discovering Valentin's actions, the hospital fired him and informed the patients about potential contamination. Fortunately, patients were offered free blood testing, and no acute infections were found. In addition to this case, Valentin also admitted to stealing fentanyl from another hospital in March 2023. He has been sentenced to 26 months in federal prison for his actions.