NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — A former Connecticut nurse who stole fentanyl from patients undergoing surgeries and substituted it with saline has been sentenced to four weekends in prison.
U.S. District Court Judge Janet C. Hall also sentenced Donna Monticone, 49, to three months of home confinement and three years of supervised release on Tuesday. Monticone, of Oxford, pleaded guilty in March to one count of tampering with a consumer product.
Monticone worked as a nurse at the Yale Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility clinic in Orange and knew many of the patients who were receiving fertility treatments there. Prosecutors have said that 75% of the fentanyl given to patients from June to October 2020 was adulterated by saline. Monticone was using the fentanyl she stole herself.
The New Haven Register reported the judge weighed the testimony of people who experienced incredible pain because of Monticone’s actions with the fact that she cooperated with the investigation. Monticone started using the drugs as she was getting divorced, though the judge said the court was not able to ascertain the full scope of her familial problems.
Testifying anonymously, patients who underwent surgeries with little or no pain medication said they were treated like drug addicts when they told their doctors the fentanyl was not working.
“It was more pain than I could ever imagine,” one woman said.
“My regret and shame runs deep,” Monticone said. “Every day, I wish I could turn back time.”
Monticone is no longer licensed as a nurse and is barred from working with narcotics again.
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