A woman from Sand Springs has pleaded guilty to tampering with drugs at a healthcare facility, according to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.
Kailyn Marie Smotherman, 35, admitted in court to one count of tampering with consumer products. She could face up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Court Judge Susan P. Watters is overseeing the case and will determine the sentence after reviewing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors. Sentencing is scheduled for April 15, 2026. Smotherman remains out on conditional release while awaiting further proceedings.
Court documents state that on January 19, 2023, Smotherman was found tampering with controlled substances at Garfield County Health Center in Jordan, Montana, where she worked as Director of Nursing. Facility staff entered her locked office to retrieve a narcotics log and found items such as hospital stock narcotics, an IV pole, tourniquets, needles, IV equipment, replacement vial caps and medication labels, as well as what appeared to be blood on surfaces.
During a subsequent search by staff and law enforcement officers, several vials of fentanyl were discovered that had been tampered with or emptied. Other controlled substances were also found to have been replaced.
Staff reported concerns that patients may have received saline solution instead of pain medication in the months before the incident.
A forensic chemist from the Food and Drug Administration analyzed containers taken from Smotherman's office and determined that the controlled substances had been tampered with and adulterated.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting this case following an investigation by the DEA, FDA and Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.
