Florida Nurse Accused of Taking Fentanyl From Patient’s IV

Leslie Ann Pope, a 54-year-old Florida ICU nurse, was arrested Oct. 8 after police alleged she withdrew fluid from a critically ill patient's fentanyl IV infusion at Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital in Port St. Lucie. She faces felony charges and has denied the allegations.

What investigators say happened

Investigators say the first alleged incident occurred June 24. A patient's family member told them they saw Pope use a syringe to withdraw fluid from the IV, pocket it and leave the room. Police said Pope returned the next evening and approached the IV equipment, but a family member intervened.

Detectives reviewed footage of that second visit. Investigators said it showed Pope manipulating protective caps on the equipment, but they couldn't determine whether she took more medication during the attempt. Police haven't said what Pope allegedly intended to do with the drugs.

Police said Pope wasn't assigned to the patient. According to Brittany McNally, a public information officer with Port St. Lucie police, Pope told them an alarm she described as an “upstream occlusion” required her to intervene with the IV. The patient's significant other, who had experience working in a medical environment, disputed that explanation.

McNally told CBS 12: “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.” She also said the family member had “a history of working in that environment,” prompting the person to question Pope's actions and notify the hospital's chain of command.

Hospital and police response

The hospital conducted an internal investigation and contacted the Florida Department of Health, which then notified police, McNally said. Police began investigating in August. The Palm Beach Marshals Task Force helped police arrest Pope.

Pope faces charges of grand theft of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance. Investigators haven't determined what she 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.”

McNally said Pope had worked at the hospital for around six months. Cleveland Clinic told CBS12 News in a statement that Pope no longer works there and that the hospital is cooperating with law enforcement. The hospital didn't say when her employment ended or whether it fired her.

The investigation remains active

Cleveland Clinic said in a statement: “We take these allegations very seriously. 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 hospital provided no additional details.

The New York Post said it contacted Port St. Lucie Police Department and Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital for more information. Ella Morrison wrote its report, citing CBS 12 reporting based on information from the Port St. Lucie Police Department. The allegations remain allegations. Pope denied them, and investigators haven't publicly determined what she intended to do with the medication.