A former Emergency Medical Technician from Cordova, Tennessee, has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison for tampering with a vial of Benadryl while on duty. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentencing.
Court documents revealed that Cleola Hogan, 40, was working as an EMT on March 20, 2022, when she removed Benadryl from a vial using a syringe and injected it into her arm. She then replaced the missing medication with saline solution and resealed the vial. This act posed significant risks to patients needing Benadryl for severe allergic reactions.
Hogan pleaded guilty on September 3, 2024, to tampering with a consumer product with reckless disregard for potential danger to others.
On December 4, 2024, Chief United States District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Hogan to 12 months and one day of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release. Hogan is also required to undergo drug and mental health treatment and counseling. It should be noted that there is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the United States Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations alongside the Priority Ambulance Diversion Task Force.
Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren expressed gratitude towards Assistant United States Attorney Carroll L. André III and former Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Lewis for prosecuting the case, as well as law enforcement partners involved in the investigation.
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