Leslie Pope, a Jupiter resident, worked at Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —
A 54-year-old Jupiter woman is facing felony charges after she allegedly removed fentanyl from a critically ill patient’s IV infusion while working at Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital, the Port St. Lucie Police Department said Monday.
On Thursday, Leslie Pope was arrested in Jupiter in conjunction with the Palm Beach Marshals Task Force and faces three felonies: grand theft of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance.
Pope was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on Thursday morning on an out-of-county warrant. She was released on Saturday morning after posting an original bond of $150,000.
Pope is not an inmate at the St. Lucie County Jail.
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Port St. Lucie police arrested Pope after an investigation into the allegations.
Investigators learned a family member reported witnessing Pope use a syringe to withdraw fluid from the patient’s fentanyl infusion, place the syringe in her pocket and leave the room.
Pope was not assigned to the patient’s care.
The next evening, Pope allegedly returned to the patient’s room and again approached the IV equipment, police said. The family member intervened.
Detectives later reviewed video footage that shows Pope manipulating protective caps on the equipment. No additional medication was removed during the second incident, according to investigators.
A 15-page arrest affidavit includes witness interviews, hospital video footage, medical and administrative records, medication transaction reviews and coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“PSLPD takes allegations of criminal misconduct seriously, particularly when they involve individuals entrusted with the safety and well-being of others,” the agency said in a news release. “We remain committed to thorough, evidence-based investigations and pursuing accountability when the evidence supports criminal charges.”
This remains an active criminal case.
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