HIV-Positive Surgery Tech Set To Be Sentenced In Painkiller Theft Case
DENVER (CBS4) - A former hospital surgery technician convicted of stealing painkiller syringes in Colorado and possibly exposing patients to HIV is scheduled to be sentenced in Denver federal court Monday morning.
Rocky Allen pleaded guilty over the summer to tampering with a consumer product and obtaining a controlled substance by deceit. He faces a maximum of 14 years in prison.
The move came after prosecutors announced Allen had HIV and urged surgical patients at Swedish Medical Center where he worked to be tested.
Authorities say Allen replaced fentanyl needles intended for patients with syringes he previously used, making infection possible.
Authorities say someone saw Allen take a syringe filled with painkillers from an operating room at Swedish Medical Center on Jan. 22. The hospital fired him, and three weeks later federal prosecutors charged him with tampering with a consumer product and obtaining a controlled substance by deceit.