Nurse From Pelham Admits To Stealing, Tampering With Drugs: Feds

PELHAM, NY — A Westchester woman has admitted to stealing and tampering with vials of hydromorphone and fentanyl at the Stamford surgical clinic she worked at, for her own personal use, according to federal officials.

Kristen Carotenuto, 35, of Pelham, 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.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 30.

Carotenuto was released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing. She has surrendered her nursing license.

Carotenuto was employed as a nurse at an outpatient surgical center in Stamford, Connecticut, and as part of her job, she was granted access to a secure location used to store controlled substances, including hydromorphone and fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in December 2024, Carotenuto removed several vials, each containing hydromorphone or fentanyl, from the secure storage area. She then took the vials home, removed the drugs using a syringe, and used the drugs herself.

Carotenuto then refilled the vials with either saline or water and returned the tampered vials to the storage area 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.