BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — A Montville woman pleaded guilty on Tuesday in Bridgeport federal court to a charge related to her tampering with pain medication at Backus Hospital in Norwich, where she worked, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Tiffany Moss, 34, waived her right to be indicted on Tuesday, prosecutors said, noting that she pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product.
Court documents and statements made in court note that Moss was employed as a pharmacy technician at Backus Hospital when, on Jan. 11, 2024, she used her employee ID badge to access the hospital’s secure storage area.
Prosecutors said she then removed three bags containing a solution of hydromorphone that belongs to the drug class “opioids,” which includes morphine, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA said hydromorphone has an analgesic potency that is anywhere from two to eight times greater than that of morphine and has a rapid onset of action.
According to prosecutors, Moss took a portion of the hydromorphone solution from each of the three bags for her own use and replaced the portions she took with saline. She then returned the bags to a storage area where they could be distributed for patient use, prosecutors said.
Moss’ offense carries a maximum prison term of 10 years; a sentencing date has not yet been scheduled, prosecutors said.
RELATED: EPA bans consumer use of a toxic chemical widely used as a paint stripper but known to cause cancer
Moss was released on a $50,000 bond. Prosecutors said she is prohibited from working in any location with access to narcotics while she awaits sentencing.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigation, the DEA’s Hartford Diversion Control Division, the state Department of Consumer Protection’s Drug Control Division, and the Norwich Police Department.
----
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
----
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
