LITHIA, FL — Lisa Williams, 56, of Lithia, has pleaded guilty to six counts of tampering with a consumer product and six counts of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced Friday. Williams, a licensed registered nurse, is accused of repeatedly tampering with fentanyl infusion bags at a hospital, compromising patient safety in the process.
The department outlined a disturbing series of events that occurred from October 2023 to December 2023, when Williams removed fentanyl infusion bags from the hospital for her personal use. On several occasions, she tampered with the bags by withdrawing portions of fentanyl before returning them to the hospital’s circulation. By doing so, Williams created a dangerous situation where patients in need of proper pain management could unknowingly receive altered, substandard doses.
As part of her scheme, Williams also swapped out the tampered bags for pre-tampered containers in an attempt to cover her tracks. Additionally, she manipulated hospital records to falsely reflect canceled transactions, further concealing her criminal activity.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized the seriousness of Williams’ actions, which compromised hospital safety protocols and posed a significant risk to patients who were relying on the healthcare system for pain relief.
Williams faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each count of tampering and up to four years for each count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
