Miami Registered Nurse Headed to Federal Prison for Swapping Medical Fentanyl with Saline

MIAMI – A federal district judge in South Florida has sentenced a registered nurse to prison for more than two years for tampering with medical-grade fentanyl meant to treat patients’ pain during their cardiac catheterization procedures at a Miami hospital.

Emmanuel Valentin, 40, of Miami, admitted the conduct on December 13, 2024, pleading guilty to tampering with consumer products. 

Valentin worked as a registered nurse at a Miami hospital’s cardiac catheterization lab. While on duty from July 10 to August 18, 2023, Valentin used a syringe to extract liquid painkillers (medical-grade fentanyl and midazolam) from their vials for his personal use. He replaced them with saline solution, knowing that the liquid in the vials would be dispensed to hospital patients for pain relief during medical procedures, such as cardiac catheterization and stent placement.  In addition, Valentin retrieved empty and discarded vials from the biohazard waste disposal bin, filled them with saline, and used them to replace vials that he stole.  This waste disposal bin contained other contaminated medical waste.  Valentin’s conduct not only exposed patients to the risk of unnecessary pain, it also put them at risk of contracting Hepatitis C and other blood-borne disease infections.

The hospital fired Valentin, notified patients of possible contamination, and offered patients free blood testing.  No acute infections were discovered.

On May 15, 2024, in a separate state prosecution, Valentin admitted to stealing fentanyl from another Miami area hospital in March 2023.

U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Kerry Mannion of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

FDA-OCI Miami and Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (formerly Miami-Dade Police Department) investigated this case.  AUSA Timothy Abraham prosecuted it.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov  or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under 24-cr-20435.

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