A Crestwood nurse anesthetist who stole pain medication from seriously ill patients was sentenced to over six years in federal prison.
Matthew Ryan Elkins, 41, was sentenced on Monday after pleading guilty to tampering with consumer products, obtaining a controlled substance through fraud, and burglary involving controlled substances, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.
According to prosecutors, Elkins worked as a contract nurse anesthetist at a Louisville pain treatment center, where patients with cancer, spinal injuries, brain injuries, and other severe ailments relied on implanted pain pumps after other treatments failed.
Elkins acknowledged to taking opioids from prefilled syringes intended for patients around twice a week for at least three months. Investigators claim he kept the medications for personal use and replaced the syringes with sodium chloride before returning them to the clinic’s safe.
According to prosecutors, patients unintentionally received diluted medication, which caused significant pain, illness, and withdrawal symptoms.
In addition to his prison sentence, Elkins was ordered to pay a $15,000 fine, serve three years of supervised release, and surrender his Kentucky nursing license.Matthew Elkins violated the trust of his patients and the community by stealing critical medications from vulnerable victims, tampering with them to avoid detection, and causing them serious harm,” said U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner.
There is no parole in the federal prison system.
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