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Charles Welch Jr., 65, a certified registered nurse anesthetist at Lake Ozark Anesthesia, pleaded guilty before a U.S. District Judge to one count of obtaining a controlled substance through misrepresentation.
According to a news release from the Department of Justice, Welch admitted to stealing fentanyl from the automated dispensing cabinets in the hospital’s operating rooms for over a month.
The release stated that on August 16, 2023, during a routine restock of one of the automated dispensing cabinets, a pharmacy technician discovered a vial of midazolam and a syringe containing a liquid with a “hydromorphone” label attached to it in a drawer meant for temporarily storing medications for procedures.
The technician alerted the hospital’s director of pharmacy about the improperly stored drugs, and the director reviewed surveillance camera footage and observed Welch removing a vial of fentanyl and placing it in his pocket.
Under federal law, Welch could face a sentence of up to four years in federal prison without parole, according to the DOJ news release.