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A Grosse Pointe Park registered nurse working in the emergency room of Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit has been charged with stealing fentanyl from vials for his personal use.
Then to make it look as if the vials were still full of fentanyl, he filled them up with a liquid, knowing they would be used for patients in severe pain, according to the indictment.
Travis Eskridge, 53, faces three counts of tampering with a consumer product, specifically the Schedule II controlled substance fentanyl; one count of theft of medical products by an employee and one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.
Authorities allege that he put others in danger by tampering with the fentanyl and replacing it with liquid.
The indictment alleges he stole fentanyl over a nine-month period for his personal use.He was removed from his position in August of 2022 after the thefts were discovered.
Eskridge made his initial appearance Thursday in federal court and was released on a bond with a condition he not seek a job as a nurse.
“Such crimes are a betrayal of the trust placed in licensed medical professionals," Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck said in a statement. "To protect the health and safety of our citizens, we take crimes like this seriously and pursue those in positions of trust who choose to harm others.”
