⏱ 2 min read
A Crestwood nurse anesthetist, Matthew Ryan Elkins, 41, was sentenced to 6 years and 5 months in federal prison for narcotics-related offenses. The crimes occurred in Louisville, Kentucky, where Elkins worked at a pain treatment center, and were committed over a period of at least three months. Elkins was caught by Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers on March 21, 2024, in the act of burglarizing the center and removing controlled substances intended for patients. The motive behind Elkins’ actions was to feed his own addiction, putting vulnerable patients at risk.
Patients at the center were typically palliative care patients with severe diseases, such as cancer, spinal injuries, and brain injuries. They relied on intrathecal pain pumps, which were refilled periodically using pre-filled syringes containing pain medicine. Elkins would remove these medications from the office safe, twice a week, and use them for his own purposes.
Elkins’ convictions include tampering with consumer products, acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deceit, and subterfuge, and burglary involving controlled substances. In addition to his prison sentence, Elkins was fined $15,000 and will serve three years on supervised release. He also forfeited his Kentucky nursing licenses.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Marie Maguire of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Chief Paul L. Humphrey of the LMPD. The case highlights the importance of holding medical professionals accountable for their actions, especially when they put patients’ lives at risk.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Drug Trafficking
- Defendant: Kentucky
- Location: KY
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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