Prov VA Medical Center Nurse Charged With Tampering & Stealing Prescription Opioids

Prov VA Medical Center Nurse Charged With Tampering & Stealing Prescription Opioids

A Providence VA Medical Center nurse was charged with stealing liquid opioids for his own personal use and replacing them with saline on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Providence.

Jared Scott, 34, of West Warwick, was indicted on June 28, 2018, on one count each of tampering with consumer products and acquiring a controlled substance by deception and subterfuge. 

He pled not guilty on Tuesday.

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The Investigation

According to information presented to the court, Scott, as a Providence VA Medical Center nurse, had access to vials of liquid opioids for patient use. 

Scott would access the vials, often for patients that were not his, remove vials of the drug for his own personal use, and leave behind vials filled with saline.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly.

Possible Punishment

Tampering with a consumer product is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 10 years in federal prison, 3 years supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 4 years in federal prison, 1 year supervised release and a fine of $250,000.