A Rochester, Illinois, dentist has admitted to federal drug charges, including swiping fentanyl from his patients. Phillip M. Jensen, 63, entered a guilty plea on August 2, to a multitude of counts including drug diversion, fraudulently acquiring a controlled substance, and tampering with consumer products, which resulted in serious bodily injury to patients, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of Illinois.
During a hearing that took place at the U.S. District Court in Springfield, before Judge Colleen R. Lawless, Jensen confessed to his elaborate scheme of pilfering the painkiller intended for his patients' use during surgical procedures. Over a period from December 2019 through at least August 2020, the dentist siphoned off more than 40 grams of fentanyl for personal use. According to the Department of Justice, he would replace the stolen fentanyl with saline solution after tampering with the vials' safety caps.
One egregious account detailed in Count 17 of the indictment described a patient's harrowing experience of waking up during surgery, devoid of anesthesia's mercy, while Jensen proceeded with the operation. Additionally, the indictment charged Jensen with making false entries into patients' medical records to cover up his misdeeds, and these records pertained to surgeries paid for by Molina Healthcare of Illinois, who compensated Jensen to the tune of $13,137 for the two procedures in question.
Jensen, who had been released on bond was detained again in July after violating terms of his release. He is currently held in custody by the U.S. Marshal Service, awaiting his sentencing scheduled for December 4, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of Illinois.
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