A Michigan nurse who admitted to draining fentanyl vials and replacing the liquid while working in a Detroit emergency room has been sentenced to two years in federal prison.
Travis Eskridge, 54, of Grosse Pointe Park, learned his sentence last week following an investigation into drug tampering at Ascension St. John Hospital. According to court documents, Eskridge used his position as a registered nurse to access the hospital’s locked drug storage system between May and August of 2022.
Authorities say Eskridge wasn’t just stealing the drugs for personal use; he was covering his tracks in a way that directly endangered patients. He admitted to removing the powerful Schedule II narcotic from vials and refilling them with a different liquid. He then returned the tampered vials to the storage supply.
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Because the vials appeared normal, they were subsequently administered to emergency room patients who were in desperate need of pain relief.
U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. described the crime as a betrayal of the fundamental duty of a medical professional.
“When nurse Eskridge placed tampered vials back into the hospital’s medical supply, he exposed patients in desperate need of pain relief to continued suffering,” Gorgon said. “This is a reprehensible crime. No medical professional should torture a patient.”
The scheme unraveled in August 2022, leading to Eskridge’s immediate termination from Ascension St. John.
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The investigation was led by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations. Special Agent in Charge Ronne Malham noted that the crime struck at the core of the doctor-patient relationship.
“Emergency room patients trust they will be administered the pain relief drugs that the doctor ordered,” Malham stated. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice healthcare professionals who violate their position of trust.”
Eskridge pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product with reckless disregard for the risk to patients. In addition to the prison term, the conviction marks a permanent end to his tenure at the hospital.
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