Former radiologic technologist (RT) Steven Beumel has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for one count of tampering with a consumer product resulting in death, four counts of tampering with a consumer product resulting in serious bodily injury, and five counts of stealing fentanyl by deception, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida.
U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard delivered the decision on September 10.
According to court documents, Beumel worked as a radiology technician at Mayo Clinic from October 2004 through August 2010. Beumel admitted that from 2006 through 2008 he stole syringes of fentanyl intended for patient procedures and replaced them with syringes of saline contaminated with hepatitis C at the Mayo Clinic's interventional radiology unit.
Beumel's actions led to a hepatitis C outbreak at Mayo Clinic that took three years for investigators from the Mayo Clinic, the Florida Department of Health, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to resolve.
"Throughout this situation, Mayo Clinic has been guided by our core values to always do what is best for our patients," said William Rupp, CEO of Mayo Clinic in Florida, in a statement. "The care and safety of our patients is and will always remain our number one priority. We continue to extend our unfailing support to all those touched by the actions of this person."
