A nurse from Pelham, New York, has admitted to tampering with powerful narcotics while working at a surgical clinic. Kristen Carotenuto, 35, waived her right to an indictment and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford. The charges stem from incidents involving vials of hydromorphone and fentanyl at a surgical center in Stamford, Connecticut.
The court documents detailed how Carotenuto had access to a secure storage facility at the center that housed controlled substances. In December 2024, she removed vials containing hydromorphone and fentanyl, took them home, and extracted the drugs using a syringe. She then refilled the vials with saline or water, returning them to the facility for potential patient use.
Carotenuto pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product, an offense that may lead to a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. Judge Oliver has scheduled the sentencing for June 30. Carotenuto is currently out on a $25,000 bond pending the sentencing and has relinquished her nursing license.
This case is being investigated by various authorities, 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.
