Grosse Pointe Park, Mich. — Registered nurse Travis Eskridge, 53, has been charged with multiple federal offenses, including three counts of tampering with a consumer product, specifically fentanyl, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Eskridge is accused of tampering with fentanyl vials at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit while working in the emergency room. The charges allege that he removed fentanyl from the vials, replaced it with another liquid, and returned the altered vials to the locked drug storage system, putting patients at significant risk.
The indictment further accuses Eskridge of stealing fentanyl vials over a nine-month period, using his position as a registered nurse to fraudulently obtain controlled substances for personal use.
These actions were discovered in August 2022, leading to Eskridge’s removal from his position at Ascension St. John Hospital. Federal law imposes serious penalties for these offenses. If convicted, Eskridge faces up to 10 years in prison for each tampering count, up to five years for the theft charge, and up to four years for obtaining fentanyl by fraud. Each count carries a maximum fine of $250,000.
The charges highlight the risks posed by healthcare professionals who abuse their positions of trust, particularly in handling dangerous drugs such as fentanyl.
