A 54‑year‑old ICU nurse in Florida stands accused of siphoning fentanyl from a critically ill patient’s IV. According to investigators, she was seen pulling the drug with a syringe and slipping the syringe into her pocket.
Leslie Ann Pope was taken into custody on Oct. 8 and faces three felony charges: grand theft of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance.
A news release from the Port St. Lucie Police Department says the case revolves around two incidents at Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital on June 24 and 25.
A family member reported that they observed Pope “use a syringe to withdraw fluid from the patient’s fentanyl infusion, place the syringe in her pocket, and leave the room.” Investigators noted that Pope was not assigned to care for that patient.
The next evening, Pope allegedly returned to the same room and approached the IV setup. Detectives reviewed surveillance footage that appeared to show her “manipulating protective caps on the equipment” before the family member intervened. It remains unclear whether additional medication was taken during that second visit.
“That’s not standard procedure, from what I understand at the hospital,” Brittany McNally, the public information officer for the Port St. Lucie Police Department, told WPBF. “She’s not even assigned that patient, and there was no initial justification for her to be in that room at the time.”
Police examined hospital recordings, medical and administrative records, medication transaction logs, and interviewed witnesses, coordinating their effort with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“The patient was on a specific monitor for the situation that he was in the ICU,” McNally added. “That monitor captured video recordings, which became a key piece of evidence and completely contradicted her recollection.”
After her arrest, Pope denied ever taking drugs from a patient or using them personally. Police, however, say they possess “an overwhelming amount of evidence to prove otherwise.”
A spokesperson for Cleveland Clinic confirmed that Pope no longer works at the hospital and that the facility is cooperating with law enforcement, while declining further comment due to the ongoing investigation.
Pope was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on an out‑of‑county warrant on Oct. 8 and released on Oct. 10 after posting a $150,000 bond. Her next court appearance has not yet been scheduled.
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