A Lexington, Kentucky woman, Abigail Hall, aged 51, has pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product. The plea was entered on Monday before U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove.
Hall's plea agreement revealed that between January and August 2023, she worked as a contract registered nurse at various facilities in Kentucky. This included a healthcare facility in Lawrenceburg that catered to the elderly and infirm. On August 27, 2023, Hall took morphine prescribed for three patients under her care who had significant health issues and pain concerns. She replaced the stolen morphine with water and blue food coloring to mimic the real medication. Hall ultimately stole at least seven syringes of morphine and administered the tampered substance to one patient.
"Instead of actually caring for the patients in her charge – patients who needed their pain medication – she stole their medicine and even administered fake medicine to one of them," said Carlton S. Shier IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. "Her conduct was as disgraceful as it was deceptive and callous. Fortunately, through the hard work of our law enforcement partners, she will now face the consequences of her profound betrayal."
George A. Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge at the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office stated: "Patients suffering from pain trust their healthcare providers to provide relief through effective and appropriately dosed medications. We will continue to pursue and bring to justice healthcare professionals who violate their position of trust and jeopardize patients’ health and well-being by tampering with their pain medications."
The guilty plea was jointly announced by United States Attorney Shier and Special Agent in Charge Scavdis.
The investigation into Hall's actions was conducted by FDA-OCI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Smith is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Hall is scheduled for sentencing on March 24, 2025, at 1:30 p.m., facing a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison along with possible restitution and fines. The court will determine any sentence based on consideration of U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and federal sentencing statutes.