Sean Falzarano, a 38-year-old nurse from Southbury, has admitted to tampering with and stealing Lorazepam vials while employed at Yale New Haven Hospital. According to Vanessa Roberts Avery, the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Falzarano pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford.

Falzarano's role as a Registered Nurse granted him access to secure areas where controlled substances like Lorazepam were stored. On January 31, 2022, he took vials intended for patient use, removed some of the Lorazepam solution from at least one vial, replaced it with an inert solution, and returned it for potential patient distribution. He also kept at least one vial for himself.

He faces charges of tampering with a consumer product and acquiring a controlled substance through misrepresentation or fraud. The former charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, while the latter could result in up to four years. Sentencing is scheduled for March 5.

Currently released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing, Falzarano's nursing license remains suspended.

The investigation involved multiple agencies including 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.