Detroit nurse sentenced for stealing more than 100 vials, syringes of hydromorphone
(CBS DETROIT) - A Detroit registered nurse accused of tampering with vials and syringes of hydromorphone is sentenced to four years in prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Federal officials say Mary Cheatham, 42, of Ypsilanti, admitted to tampering with the painkillers at a local hospital in Detroit in 2020 and replacing them with a saline solution, returning the altered syringes back to shelves.
Officials say Cheatham stole 116 vials and syringes, using them on herself.
Cheatham pleaded guilty in August 2022.
"Patients in a hospital should be able to rely on receiving their needed medications," said U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison. "We will not hesitate to prosecute health care workers who steal drugs and put patients at serious risk of harm."
