A nurse from Southbury has been sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for tampering with and stealing Lorazepam vials at Yale New Haven Hospital, where he was employed. Sean Falzarano, 39, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford and will also serve two years of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made during the proceedings, Falzarano worked as a Registered Nurse at Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH). He had access to secure areas where controlled substances were stored. On January 31, 2022, Falzarano took vials containing Lorazepam that were meant for patients. He removed some of the medication from at least one vial, replaced it with an inert solution, and returned the altered vial to its storage location. The incident came to light when YNHH employees investigating drug tampering confronted him on that date. A search of his backpack uncovered vials, crimping tools, saline, vial caps, and syringes.
Falzarano pleaded guilty on December 11, 2024, to tampering with a consumer product and acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation or other fraudulent means.
He is currently released on a $50,000 bond and must report to prison on October 21. His nursing license is suspended.
The investigation was conducted by the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations; the DEA’s Hartford Diversion Control Division; and the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection’s Drug Control Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller prosecuted the case.
“David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut,” announced these details.
