Marc H. Silverman, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Kristen Carotenuto, a nurse from Pelham, New York, has admitted to tampering with vials of hydromorphone and fentanyl at a Stamford surgical clinic where she was employed. Carotenuto waived her right to indictment and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford.
Court documents revealed Carotenuto had access to secure storage of controlled substances, including hydromorphone and fentanyl, at the clinic. In December 2024, she took several vials of these substances home, extracted the drugs with a syringe, and used them. Following this, she refilled the vials with either saline or water before returning them for potential patient use.
Carotenuto pleaded guilty to the offense of tampering with a consumer product, which can result in up to 10 years in prison. Her sentencing is scheduled for June 30, and she is currently released on a $25,000 bond. As part of the proceedings, she has surrendered her nursing license.
This case is under investigation by the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations, the DEA’s Hartford Diversion Control Division, and the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection’s Drug Control Division. The prosecution is being led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.