West Haven Woman Who Diverted Narcotics from Dying VA Medical Center Patients is Sentenced
HARTFORD, Conn. - Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TARA SEVERINO, 58, of West Haven, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to two years of probation, the first six months of which Severino must serve in home confinement, for diverting narcotics from veterans under her care while she worked as a nurse at the West Haven VA Medical Center.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Severino was employed as a registered nurse with the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (the “VA”) in West Haven and was assigned to the VA’s Intensive Care Unit (“ICU”) for sick or dying patients. From January to July 2023, Severino ingested fentanyl, hydromorphone, and oxycodone intended for patients in her care.
In some instances, Severino ingested the “waste” of a substance, meaning she administered part of the substance to a patient and ingested the remaining portion not used by the patient. In one instance, Severino repeatedly introduced fentanyl into the system of a braindead patient after claiming she observed him in pain and having a seizure. She introduced fentanyl to this patient approximately 19 times over a nine-day period so that she could divert some for herself.
In other instances, Severino ingested doses of hydromorphone and fentanyl meant for dying veterans. This affected treatment decisions made by other medical staff who believed that the patients had been receiving, and were unresponsive to, their prescribed narcotics.
In another instance, Severino volunteered to care for a patient not formally assigned to her, and diverted pain medication from him before he died.
In order to cover up her crimes, Severino misrepresented in VA medical records and tracking systems that the narcotics been properly administered to the patient or, in the case of excess narcotics, had been properly disposed of.
On June 18, 2024, Severino pleaded guilty to obtaining controlled substances by fraud or subterfuge.
This matter was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, with the assistance of the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the West Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Lembo.
