BOSTON (WWLP) – On Friday, a former nurse pleaded guilty to diverting opioids from a Boston-area hospital.
In a news release sent to 22News, the Department of Justice states that Andrea Falzano, 39, of Winchester, pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud, deception, and subterfuge.
According to her guilty plea, Falzano drew controlled substances from a locked drug cabinet in the emergency department at a Massachusetts hospital starting in May 2019.
All of these drugs are opioids and Schedule II controlled substances, like morphine, fentanyl, and hydromorphone. Over a five-month period, Falzano withdrew these substances 412 times from 299 already discharged patients.
Unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud carries up to four years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Federal district court judges impose sentences based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern criminal sentences.
Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton set sentencing for Nov. 14, 2023. Falzano was indicted on Feb. 24, 2023.
