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A former Dracut nurse pleaded guilty to stealing morphine intended for elderly hospice patients, including taking the pain-killing drug from a pair of patients at a Lowell nursing home in 2016, authorities say.
Michael Langlois, 49, then a registered nurse, took liquid morphine for his own personal use from two patients in his care and replaced it with saline or Benadryl in attempt to cover his crime, according to a press release issued Tuesday by U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling’s office.
The incident took place on Nov. 16, 2016, at a nursing home not identified in the press release. The patients, who were in Langlois care, received a less potent dose of the painkiller than they were prescribed due to the crime, according to the press release.
On or about April 3, 2017, Langlois is accused of again diverting liquid morphine from a patient under his care at an unidentified Melrose nursing home, the release states. To conceal the crime, he falsely stated in the medical file that the morphine for the patient was pure, when that was not the case, Tuesday’s release states.
Langlois pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product in federal court in Boston on Tuesday, according to the release. The crime includes a sentence of no more than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
The 49-year-old also pleaded guilty to acquiring a controlled substance by deception or subterfuge, which holds a sentence of no more than four years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
Langlois is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf on Aug. 6.