TAMPA — A Lakeland nurse has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for stealing and tampering with fentanyl intended for hospital patients across the Tampa Bay area.
U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday sentenced 30-year-old Eric Brewer to five years and three months after he pleaded guilty in April to tampering with a consumer product and obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.
Federal prosecutors said Brewer, a licensed registered nurse, worked at multiple Tampa Bay hospitals where he repeatedly diverted fentanyl for his own use between June 2 and Sept. 12, 2023. Court records show he removed portions of the powerful painkiller from IV bags and syringes intended for patients, sometimes diluting the remaining drug with saline. Authorities said his actions showed “extreme indifference” to the risk of death or serious injury to patients.
On at least seven occasions, Brewer took medical supplies from hospital storage, entered patient treatment rooms, and redirected fentanyl into a Styrofoam cup for personal use. In other instances, he accessed secure medication lockers or manipulated IV pumps to steal the drug.
His conduct came to light on Sept. 12, 2023, when Brewer volunteered to change a fentanyl IV drip bag for a patient despite not being assigned to that case. After retrieving the medication from a secure locker, Brewer was later seen stumbling, slurring his speech, and falling asleep. A search of a nearby restroom uncovered a bloody needle and paper towel.
A drug test was requested but refused, and Brewer was fired. Testing later revealed the IV bag he handled had been diluted by about 50 percent with saline.
The case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Pizzo prosecuted the case.
