Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A former paramedic from Manilla, Iowa, has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for tampering with vials of narcotic pain medication. Teresa Marie Johnson, 53, received the sentence on February 17, 2026, after pleading guilty in October 2025 to one count of tampering with a consumer product.
Johnson was employed as a licensed paramedic by a county ambulance service. The fentanyl she took was intended for patients experiencing severe pain during emergencies such as car accidents. According to investigators, starting in late 2024, Johnson tampered with the service’s fentanyl supplies on three occasions for her own use. An analysis of one vial revealed it contained only 9.6% of its declared amount of fentanyl and showed signs of tampering including adhesive residue and multiple punctures.
A colleague reported incidents where the medication failed to produce the expected effect when administered to patients. Johnson had a prior criminal record that included five misdemeanor theft convictions and a deferred judgment following a felony forgery plea in state court. As part of her plea agreement, Johnson agreed to surrender her Iowa paramedic license.
