A Dallas anesthesiologist has been sentenced to 190 years in prison for tampering with IV bags, leading to one death and several cardiac emergencies. Raynaldo Riviera Ortiz Jr., 60, was charged in September 2022 and later indicted on multiple counts related to the tampering of IV bags at a local surgical center. In April, following an eight-day trial, Ortiz was convicted of four counts of tampering with consumer products resulting in serious bodily injury, one count of tampering with a consumer product, and five counts of intentional adulteration of a drug.
Chief U.S. District Judge David Godbey for the Northern District of Texas delivered the sentence, noting that Ortiz's actions resulted in the death of a colleague and described his conduct as "tantamount to attempted murder."
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton commented on the case: “The defendant betrayed the trust of patients by tampering with critical medical supplies, and the result was serious bodily injury.” He added that the sentence reflects the seriousness of these offenses and underscores the department's commitment to prosecuting those who endanger patients by tampering with drugs.
U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton for the Northern District of Texas compared Ortiz's actions to those of an armed assailant: “This disgraced doctor acted no better than an armed assailant spraying bullets indiscriminately into a crowd." She expressed pride in her office’s work in bringing justice for Ortiz’s victims.
Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead from FDA-OCI highlighted the risks posed by Ortiz’s actions: “Patients expect that their doctors will use only safe and effective medical products during their surgeries." He emphasized that this sentencing demonstrates FDA's commitment to pursuing those who jeopardize patient safety through criminal acts.
Evidence presented at trial revealed that between May and August 2022, numerous patients at Surgicare North Dallas experienced cardiac emergencies during routine procedures. An anesthesiologist died while using an IV bag to treat dehydration shortly after these incidents began. A local lab found dangerous drugs such as bupivacaine, epinephrine, and lidocaine in an IV bag used during a teenager's surgery, linking them to symptoms like high blood pressure and cardiac dysfunction.
Surveillance footage showed Ortiz injecting saline IV bags with harmful drugs before placing them back into a warming bin for use during surgeries. This occurred while he faced potential disciplinary action for alleged medical mistakes.
Doctors testified about unexpected complications arising shortly after new IV bags were administered. Patients recounted waking up intubated in intensive care units under emergency circumstances.
The investigation was conducted by FDA-OCI with support from the Dallas Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant Director Patrick Runkle from the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney John de la Garza for the Northern District of Texas, with appellate support from Assistant U.S. Attorney Gail Hayworth.