Woodstock nurse charged with tampering with patients' morphine medication

A registered nurse from Woodstock has been accused of diluting patients' morphine medication, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.

Sarah Diamond, 29, faces two counts of tampering with a consumer product. The indictment was filed Wednesday.

The indictment states she was the assistant director of nursing at a Chicago-area medical rehabilitation center in August 2021 when she removed morphine from bottles prescribed to two patients, and replaced it with another liquid, knowing the diluted medication would be dispensed to the patients.

The indictment does not say where she worked, what liquid was used to dilute the medication, or how many times it allegedly happened.

According to federal court records, she will be allowed to post a $4,500 personal-recognizance bond. She is scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 26.

The case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration and the Crystal Lake Police Department, according to a news release from John R. Lausch Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

"Patients deserve to have confidence that they are receiving the legitimately prescribed medication and not a diluted substance," Lausch said in the release.

"Patients should know they are receiving proper treatment from those entrusted with their medical care," said Special-Agent-in-Charge Lynda M. Burdelik of the FDA's Chicago criminal-investigations office.

"We must hold medical personnel accountable when they take advantage of their unique position and tamper with medications their patients need, potentially exposing them to contaminated medical products."

If convicted, Diamond faces up to 10 years in prison on each count.

State of Illinois licensing records indicate Diamond was licensed as a practical nurse in 2016, then as a registered professional nurse in 2017.