PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A Jupiter woman who worked as an intensive care unit nurse at Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital has been arrested after police say she stole fentanyl from a critically ill patient while on shift.
The Port St. Lucie Police Department say 54-year-old Leslie Pope unlawfully removed fentanyl from a patient's IV infusion while working in the hospital's ICU.
According to investigators, a family member of the patient reported seeing Pope use a syringe to withdraw fluid from the patient's fentanyl infusion line, place the syringe in her pocket and leave the room. Police said Pope was not assigned to care for the patient.
Detectives said Pope allegedly returned to the patient's room the following evening and again approached the IV equipment. The family member intervened during the encounter.
Investigators later reviewed surveillance footage that they say showed Pope manipulating protective caps on the IV equipment. Authorities said they were unable to determine whether any additional medication was removed during the second incident.
On Oct. 8, Pope was arrested in Jupiter and now faces felony charges of grand theft of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance.
