A University of Washington anesthesiology resident has been sentenced after federal authorities say he stole powerful narcotic pain medication while on duty and secretly substituted saline for doses intended for patients, including children. According to investigators, the alleged drug diversion put young children at risk and prompted a multi-agency investigation of controlled-substance management at numerous Seattle hospitals. The DEA’s Seattle branch reported on social media that the resident “was sentenced today.”
Part of a National Fraud Crackdown
Federal prosecutors say the resident, 35-year-old Andrew Voegel-Podadera, was accused in a criminal complaint related to the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown initiative. According to the US Attorney’s Office, he is accused of diverting fentanyl, hydromorphone, and other controlled substances for personal use while working at Seattle Children’s Hospital, the University of Washington Medical Center, and Harborview Medical Center; the resident is charged with drug diversion.
Suspicious Syringes in the OR
According to the complaint and local reports, suspicions arose on December 27, 2024, when an attending physician at Seattle Children’s spotted Voegel-Podadera preparing what appeared to be more fentanyl than needed. Tests on “waste” syringes returned that day apparently revealed that they only contained saline, not the opioid.
Seattle Children’s and UW Medicine said that when concerns were expressed, staff immediately removed the resident from patient care and placed him on leave, as reported by FOX 13 Seattle and other local outlets.
Federal Case and a Sparse Sentencing Record
The case is docketed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington as CR25-141 KKE, with hearings scheduled for early February. The DEA Seattle post on X stated that Dr. Voegel-Podadera “was sentenced today,” but as of publishing, a formal judgment and comprehensive sentencing memorandum were not yet available on the public docket or the US Attorney’s website.
The U.S. District Court offers basic case information and the docket, but the DEA Seattle post serves as the first public notice that the sentence has happened.
Hospitals Say They Moved Fast
UW Medicine informed local reporters that Voegel-Podadera was placed on leave as soon as diversion was discovered and that it has “a number of protections in place” to prevent drug diversion. Seattle Children’s stated it swiftly withdrew the resident from clinical duties and reported the situation to authorities. These messages were distributed to local media outlets, including FOX 13 Seattle.
Federal Law and a Growing Regional Trend
The complaint alleges violation of 21 U.S.C. § 843(a)(3), which prohibits obtaining restricted narcotics “by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge. ” A first conviction under that section can result in up to four years in jail, with harsher punishments for potential repeat offenders, according to the code.
This is not a one-off storyline in the region. In January, authorities sentenced a Portland veterinarian to five years of supervised probation after she acknowledged swapping animal pain medicines with saline. The Portland Tribune covered that case.
At the time of publication, prosecutors, the court, and defense attorneys had not provided any other publicly available information about Voegel-Podadera’s sentencing other than the DEA social media post. Once filed, any written judgment and accompanying documents are expected to surface through the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the federal court, and we will provide updates as new information becomes available.
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