Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a now-former Islamorada firefighter and paramedic on Wednesday, accusing him of stealing fentanyl from an ambulance after a medical call and falsifying paperwork to cover it up. The man, identified as Brian Keith Burt, 45, of Key Largo, is facing charges that include grand theft of a controlled substance and fraud.
How Deputies Say The Case Unraveled
A news release from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, as reported by Local 10, says Burt came under scrutiny after supervisors reported that he obtained a partially used vial of fentanyl from an ambulance following a March 2 call and forged another paramedic’s signature on disposal documents. MCSO’s public-information staff said colleagues noticed discrepancies in controlled-substance logs that prompted the internal probe. The release describes Burt as formerly employed with the Islamorada Fire Rescue Department and says sheriff’s deputies arrested him in the Florida Keys.
What The Charges Mean Under Florida Law
Under Florida law, the theft of any amount of a controlled substance is defined as grand theft and is typically prosecuted as a third-degree felony, which can bring both prison time and fines. The statute also allows courts to impose separate judgments for theft of a controlled substance and any related possession or trafficking offenses. See Florida Statutes for the statutory language.
Fentanyl Thefts A Familiar Problem In The Keys And Beyond
Monroe County has wrestled with missing-medication investigations before: in 2024, Local 10 reported indictments of high-ranking fire-rescue officials tied to alleged thefts from the county’s Trauma Star air-ambulance program. Similar cases across Florida highlight how breakdowns in inventory controls can put patients at risk, including a Tampa-area nurse later convicted of removing fentanyl from IVs and a separate paramedic accused of swapping fentanyl for an unknown liquid. Read more in reporting by Gulf Coast News and EMS1.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office describes the matter as an active investigation, with prosecutors expected to decide how to proceed and court records to show the next steps. Authorities have not released additional details beyond the MCSO news release.
