A certified nurse anesthetist has pled guilty to stealing fentanyl from patients at a Dubuque hospital.
53-year-old Benjamin Albert of Round Lake, Illinois now faces up to 12 years in prison and a $250-thousand dollar fine. He also agreed to surrender his nursing license.
Authorities say Albert drew extra fentanyl from the hospital pharmacy using patients’ names during each of the five days he worked there in January of 2022. He was accused of administering fentanyl to 18 patients during that time, but only giving a portion to patients and kept the rest for personal use.
Authorities say multiple patients experienced significant pain during surgery after Albert charted they had received the full dose.
