U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery | U.S. Department of Justice
Vanessa Roberts Avery, the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Tara Severino, 58, from West Haven, has been sentenced to two years of probation. The first six months will be served in home confinement. This sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford due to Severino's actions while working as a nurse at the West Haven VA Medical Center.
Court documents and statements reveal that Severino was employed as a registered nurse at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Haven. She worked in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for sick or dying patients from January to July 2023. During this time, she ingested fentanyl, hydromorphone, and oxycodone intended for her patients.
Severino sometimes consumed what is known as "waste" substances—administering part of a narcotic to a patient and ingesting the remainder herself. In one case, she repeatedly administered fentanyl to a brain-dead patient over nine days after claiming he showed signs of pain and seizures. This allowed her to divert some of the drug for personal use.
Additionally, Severino consumed doses of hydromorphone and fentanyl meant for dying veterans. This diversion impacted treatment decisions by other medical staff who were under the impression that patients had received their prescribed narcotics but were unresponsive.
In another incident, Severino volunteered to care for an unassigned patient and diverted his pain medication before his death.
To conceal her actions, Severino falsified VA medical records and tracking systems to indicate that narcotics had been properly administered or disposed of when they had not.
On June 18, 2024, Severino pleaded guilty to obtaining controlled substances through fraud or subterfuge.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General with assistance from DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the West Haven Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Lembo prosecuted the case.
