Former Nurse Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining Fentanyl

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A former registered nurse who worked in the Emergency Department at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital (SMJH) in Charlottesville, pled guilty today to obtaining controlled substances, fentanyl, and hydromorphone, by fraud.

Angelica Franklin, 36, of Chesterfield, Virginia, waived her right to be indicted and pled guilty today to one count of acquiring or obtaining controlled substances by misrepresentation by fraud, forgery, or deception.

According to court documents, Franklin was a registered nurse with the Virginia Department of Health Professions Board of Nursing. On August 16, 2021, she began working in the Emergency Department of SMJH in Charlottesville.

Franklin admitted today that in September 2021, she knowingly and intentionally entered fraudulent verbal orders for fentanyl and hydromorphone into the SMJH electronic medical records system on behalf of physicians who did not issue the verbal orders.  Franklin then obtained the fentanyl and hydromorphone from the SMJH automated dispensing cabinet but did not administer the controlled substances to patients.

In addition, Franklin admitted to unlawfully obtaining controlled substances fentanyl, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and alprazolam while working as a nurse at three Richmond-area health care facilities: Stony Point Surgery Center, Vibra Hospital, and The Laurels of Willow Creek.

In total, across all facilities, Franklin unlawfully obtained approximately 4,450 mcg of fentanyl, 80 mg of hydromorphone, 3,600 mg of oxycodone, and 14 mg of alprazolam.

Franklin is scheduled to be sentenced on November 10, 2022 and faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Washington Division Special Agent in Charge Jarod A. Forget, Richmond District Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Metro Washington Field Office Special Agent in Charge George A. Scavdis of the Food and Drug  Administration - Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI).

The DEA, FDA-OCI, Virginia State Police, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Virginia Department of Health Professionals are investigating the case.

Assistant Chief Alexis Gregorian of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald M. Huber are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia provided valuable assistance.