Vanessa Roberts Avery, the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Sean Falzarano, 38, from Southbury, has admitted to tampering with and stealing Lorazepam vials. The plea was made before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford.
Falzarano worked as a Registered Nurse at Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH), where he had access to secure locations storing controlled substances like Lorazepam. On January 31, 2022, he took vials containing Lorazepam intended for patients. He removed some of the solution from at least one vial, replaced it with an inert solution, and returned it to the secure location for patient distribution. Additionally, he kept at least one vial.
He pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product and acquiring a controlled substance through misrepresentation or deception. These offenses carry maximum prison terms of 10 years and four years respectively. Sentencing is scheduled for March 5.
Falzarano is currently released on a $50,000 bond awaiting sentencing. His nursing license is suspended.
The investigation was conducted by the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations; the DEA’s Hartford Diversion Control Division; and the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection's Drug Control Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller is prosecuting the case.