Nurse Pleads Guilty to Replacing Fentanyl With Saline

A Florida nurse has pleaded guilty to replacing medical-grade fentanyl with saline, federal officials said. Catherine Shannon Dunton, 54, stole the narcotic painkiller at an outpatient surgery center in Martin County and replaced it with saline solution before returning the adulterated vials to the center, investigators said.

The narcotic painkiller is used during surgery to prevent patients from moving and relieve their pain, authorities said. Inadequate pain control can lead to serious side effects for vulnerable patients, including increased risk of heart attack or stroke, officials said.

Dunton, a registered nurse, worked as a circulating nurse at the Jensen Beach surgery center from September 2021 to April 2022. She removed liquid fentanyl from nearly 450 vials, filled them with saline and returned the adulterated vials to the location where she was working for use during surgical procedures, investigators said.

The narcotic painkiller is a Schedule II controlled substance, which means it is illegal to sell or give it to others. Dunton is scheduled to be sentenced June 27 in federal court in Fort Pierce. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, the Department of Justice announced. The plea comes after a six-month investigation by the FDA.