Stamford Nurse Admits To Stealing, Tampering With Potent Drugs: Feds

STAMFORD, CT — A nurse pleaded guilty this week to stealing and tampering vials of hydromorphone and fentanyl at the Stamford surgical clinic she worked at, according to federal officials.

Kristen Carotenuto, 35, of Pelham, N.Y., waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product, an offense that carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison, officials said in a news release.

Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford scheduled sentencing for June 30. Carotenuto is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing. She has surrendered her nursing license.

According to court documents and statements made in court, officials said Carotenuto was employed as a nurse at an outpatient surgical center in Stamford, and as part of her job, she was granted access to a secure location used by the surgical center to store controlled substances, including hydromorphone and fentanyl.

In December 2024, Carotenuto removed several vials, each containing hydromorphone or fentanyl, from the secure storage area, officials said, noting she then took the vials home, removed the controlled substances using a syringe, and used the drugs.

Carotenuto then refilled the vials with either saline or water and returned the tampered vials to the storage area in a location where they could be distributed for patient use, officials said.

The matter was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; the DEA’s Hartford Diversion Control Division; and the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Drug Control Division.