A 54-year-old intensive care unit nurse at Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital has been arrested after police say a patient's family member watched her draw fluid from a fentanyl IV line, pocket the syringe and walk out of the room, then come back the following night and try again. Leslie Ann Pope, of Jupiter, was taken into custody on October 8.
Family Member Says She Watched It Happen Twice
According to cbs12.com, a family member saw Pope use a syringe to withdraw fluid from the patient's fentanyl infusion, place the syringe in her pocket and leave the room. Police said Pope was not assigned to care for that patient. The following evening, the same outlet reports, Pope returned to the patient's room and approached the IV equipment again, and a family member intervened to stop her.
Investigators said they were unable to establish whether additional medication was removed during that second encounter, according to the same report. The case was also covered locally by Tampa Free Press, which covers the arrest as part of its ongoing crime coverage.
What Investigators Reviewed
Per the cbs12.com account, the investigation drew on witness interviews, hospital surveillance video, medical and administrative records, and a review of medication transactions, with Port St. Lucie detectives coordinating with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Pope's arrest took place in Jupiter with assistance from the Palm Beach Marshals Task Force.
Both Reports List the Same Three Felony Charges
Three Felony Charges Reported Both reports list three felony counts: grand theft of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance.
A Broader Pattern of Hospital Drug Diversion
Cases like Pope's are not isolated nationally. In late 2024, the department announced the arrest of another Florida nurse accused of diverting fentanyl from a hospital employer. The Drug Enforcement Administration has separately detailed a case in which a former Concord Hospital nurse removed fentanyl from an ICU patient's intravenous line and replaced it with saline.
Drug diversion inside hospitals is widely believed to be undercounted. The American Nurse Journal notes that many such cases in healthcare organizations go unreported, citing an estimate that roughly 15% of healthcare workers will struggle with drug dependence at some point in their careers. The publication also points to a Connecticut fertility clinic case in which a nurse allegedly tampered with about 75% of the fentanyl given to patients between June and October 2020, causing painful procedures for more than 20 women.
The stakes extend beyond theft. The CDC has documented infection outbreaks tied to drug diversion and tampering with injectable medications, including four outbreaks involving tampering with fentanyl syringes or vials that transmitted hepatitis C to 84 patients, according to a CDC-published report.
Port St. Lucie police said in a statement reported by Tampa Free Press that the department takes allegations of criminal misconduct seriously, especially involving people entrusted with others' safety and well-being, and is committed to thorough, evidence-based investigations and pursuing accountability when evidence supports criminal charges. The investigation remains open.
