ICU Nurse Accused of Taking Patient’s Fentanyl

A family member told investigators they saw Leslie Ann Pope withdraw fluid from a critically ill patient’s fentanyl IV, put it in her pocket and leave the room at Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital in Port St. Lucie. Pope, a 54-year-old Florida ICU nurse, was arrested Oct. 8 and charged with three felony offenses. She denied the allegations.

What Investigators Say

The alleged first incident happened June 24. Investigators say the patient’s family saw Pope use a syringe to withdraw fluid from the IV infusion. Police said Pope returned to the room the next evening and approached the IV equipment, but a family member stepped in.

Detectives reviewed footage from that second visit. Investigators said it showed Pope handling protective caps on the equipment, but they couldn’t determine whether she took more medication during that attempt.

Police said Pope wasn’t assigned to the patient. According to Brittany McNally, a public information officer with Port St. Lucie police, Pope told police an alarm she described as an “upstream occlusion” required her to intervene with the IV.

The patient’s significant other disputed Pope’s account and had experience working in a medical environment. McNally told CBS 12 that the family member’s background led her to raise questions and notify the hospital’s chain of command. “But again, she’s not even assigned to that patient, so there was no initial justification for her to even be in that room at that time addressing that patient,” McNally said.

Hospital and Police Response

The hospital carried out an internal investigation and contacted the Florida Department of Health, which notified police, McNally said. Police began investigating in August. The reported account doesn’t say what the internal investigation found beyond the hospital’s referral to the department.

With help from the Palm Beach Marshals Task Force, police arrested Pope. Prosecutors charged her with grand theft of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance. Those charges are allegations; Pope denied them.

Investigators haven’t determined what Pope allegedly intended to do with the drugs. “We don’t want to speculate what she could be using it for, whether it’s personal or, you know, selling it,” McNally said. “We don’t have that information at this point.” The available account identifies no sale, financial gain or intended use.

Employment and Unanswered Questions

McNally said Pope had worked at the hospital for around six months. Cleveland Clinic said Pope no longer works there and that it’s cooperating with law enforcement. The hospital didn’t say when her employment ended or whether it fired her.

“We take these allegations very seriously,” Cleveland Clinic said in a statement to CBS12 News. “The individual no longer works with us, and we are fully cooperating with law enforcement. Because this is an active investigation, we are unable to comment further at this time.”

The account reports no union response, organized workplace action, proposed reform, wage information or financial gain to the hospital. It also doesn’t establish whether Pope took medication during the second visit or what she intended to do with any drugs. The New York Post said it contacted Port St. Lucie Police Department and Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital for more information. Ella Morrison wrote the report, citing CBS 12 reporting based on information from the Port St. Lucie Police Department.