Raymond Man Sentenced For Diverting Fentanyl At Exeter Hospital

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Peter McGlynn, 46, of Raymond, New Hampshire, was sentenced today in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 42 months of probation for obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

            McGlynn pleaded guilty to the charge on May 22, 2014.  At the plea hearing before Chief U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante, McGlynn admitted that on or about January 16, 2013, while working as an Emergency Medical Technician at Exeter Hospital, McGlynn volunteered to administer fentanyl (a powerful opiate) to a patient who was being treated at the Emergency Department of the hospital.  Although he obtained 100 micrograms of fentanyl and claimed to administer the drug to a patient, the patient did not obtain any pain relief.  A nurse suspected that the drug had not been provided to the patient.  A drug test was performed on McGlynn.  The test detected the presence of fentanyl in his system.

            McGlynn’s crime took place just six months after another Exeter Hospital employee, David Kwiatkowski, was arrested for diverting fentanyl and tampering with consumer products.  Kwiatkowski’s criminal activities resulted in the infection of dozens of people with Hepatitis C.  On December 2, 2013, Kwiatkowski was sentenced to 39 years in prison for his conduct.  The investigation of McGlynn did not reveal any evidence indicating that he had infected patients or exposed patients to any disease.

            United States Attorney John P. Kacavas said, “My office remains committed to stopping drug diversion by health care workers.  The Kwiatkowski case demonstrated that health care workers who divert or tamper with drugs can jeopardize the health and safety of their patients.  Not only do drug diversion and tampering create the potential for patients to become infected with diseases, but it also can cause patients to experience unnecessary pain.  Health care workers who divert drugs and ingest them on the job can also put patients at risk because their judgment can be clouded by the drugs they have taken.  This can lead to errors that can have life-threatening consequences.  I encourage all health care facilities to be alert to potential drug diversion incidents and to report them promptly to law enforcement officers.  That is what Exeter Hospital did in this case.”

            This investigation involved the cooperative efforts of federal and local law enforcement entities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Exeter Police Department, and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Farley.