JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A registered nurse from St. Johns has pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product, specifically injectable fentanyl, according to the Department of Justice.
Jerome Clampitt II, 42, was working a night shift on Jan 30, 2020, in an intensive care unit at a Jacksonville hospital when he was seen tampering with a patient’s medication, according to the plea agreement.
The patient under Clampitt’s care was receiving a fentanyl drip along with other medications for anesthesia.
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The plea agreement stated that night, two employees saw Clampitt using a syringe to inject a substance into the device that was providing the patient fentanyl “when there was no medical reason for Clampitt to do so.”
Laboratory testing revealed that Clampitt was diluting the patient’s dose of fentanyl with saline, according to DOJ.
During an interview, Clampitt admitted to law enforcement officers that he diverted drugs from patients at the hospital for personal use. However, he denied diluting patient drugs with saline.
An audit of hospital records revealed there were discrepancies in Clampitt’s handling of controlled substances while working at the hospital.
Investigators also discovered that in 2019 a different hospital where Clampitt worked had also discovered discrepancies in its records, suggesting Clampitt may have been diverting drugs for personal use.
He was fired from that hospital after he refused to submit to a drug test.
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According to DOJ as part of Clampitt’s plea agreement, he admitted he knew his actions caused one or more critically ill patients to endure pain and suffering. He also admitted he knew they were exposed to an increased risk of illness and death because of his actions.
Clampitt could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set.
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