Stamford Nurse Who Stole and Tampered with Hydromorphone and Fentanyl Vials Sentenced to Prison
Conn. - David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KRISTEN CAROTENUTO, 35, of Pelham, New York, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to five months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for tampering with vials of hydromorphone and fentanyl at a surgical clinic in Stamford where she was employed as a nurse. Judge Oliver also ordered Carotenuto to pay a $5,000 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Carotenuto was employed as a nurse at an outpatient surgical center in Stamford. As part of her employment, she was granted access to a secure location used by the surgical center to store controlled substances, including hydromorphone and fentanyl. 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 controlled substances using a syringe, and used the drugs. She then refilled the vials with either saline or water and returned the tampered vials to the storage area in a location where they could be distributed for patient use. There is no evidence that any patients received the tampered medications.
On August 7, 2025, Carotenuto pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product.
Carotenuto, who is released on a $25,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 1. She has surrendered her nursing license.
This 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. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
