Kansas City, Mo. – In a shocking case of healthcare corruption, Charles Welch Jr., a 65-year-old nurse from Osage Beach, Mo., pleaded guilty to illegally obtaining fentanyl from a hospital for his own use.
Welch, a certified registered nurse anesthetist at Lake Ozark Anesthesia, primarily provided anesthesia services at Lake Regional Hospital in Osage Beach, where he was responsible for preparing various medications for use in daily medical procedures.
By pleading guilty, Welch admitted that he stole fentanyl from the automated dispensing cabinets located in the hospital’s operating rooms from approximately July 1 through Aug. 21, 2023. He specifically pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining a vial of fentanyl by scanning the fentanyl to generate a label that Welch affixed to a syringe he had previously filled with saline, thus concealing the true contents of the syringe and enabling Welch to divert the fentanyl for his personal use.
On Aug. 16, 2023, during a routine restock of an automated dispensing cabinet, a pharmacy technician discovered a vial of midazolam and a syringe filled with a liquid and a ‘hydromorphone’ label affixed to the syringe in a drawer used to temporarily store medications for procedures. The pharmacy technician alerted the hospital’s director of pharmacy that the drugs had been left in the drawer.
The director of pharmacy reviewed footage from surveillance cameras and witnessed Welch remove a vial of fentanyl and place the vial in his pocket. Welch then placed a fentanyl label on a syringe that he had previously filled with saline. During the same transaction, surveillance footage also captured Welch remove a carpuject of hydromorphone, place it in his shirt pocket, and affix a ‘hydromorphone’ label onto a syringe which Welch had previously filled with saline.
Welch admitted he diverted either fentanyl or hydromorphone on an almost daily basis until he was confronted in August 2023. Welch admitted that after diverting the controlled substances, he would put the drugs in his backpack and self-administer the drugs when he got home.
Under federal statutes, Welch is subject to a sentence of up to four years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Cooper It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations.
This is not the first time a healthcare professional has been accused of diverting controlled substances. In recent years, there have been several high-profile cases of nurses and doctors diverting opioids and other controlled substances for their own use.
The case serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining the trust and integrity of the healthcare system. The actions of Charles Welch Jr. are a betrayal of that trust and a serious crime that will be punished accordingly.
Related Federal Cases
- Charles Hicks, Mail Fraud, Missouri 2024 · Kansas
- Gayron Sloan, Fentanyl Distribution, Missouri 2023 · Kansas
- Charles V. Bai, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possessing Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, Missouri 2020 · Indiana
- Charles Ray Sheppard, Receiving Child Pornography, Missouri 2021 · Kansas
- Charles Hicks Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud, Fenton MO, 2023 · Kansas
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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