Nurse Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Tampering with and Stealing Controlled Substances at Tampa Bay Area Hospital

Tampa, FL – Lauren Hornbuckle (37, Seminole) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven to two years in federal prison for tampering with a consumer product. Hornbuckle pleaded guilty on August 6, 2025. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to court documents, Hornbuckle was a Florida-licensed registered nurse who worked at Hospital #1. Between November 2023 and March 2024, Hornbuckle tampered with injectable controlled substances, including morphine, hydromorphone, and fentanyl, by removing them from their containers and replacing them with saline. She then returned the containers into circulation for other patients’ medical needs and used the drugs for her own personal use. By tampering with the injectable controlled substances, Hornbuckle acted with reckless disregard for the risk that patients would be in danger of bodily injury and under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to such risk. 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.