By Rachel Engel
ROANOKE, Va. — A former paramedic was sentenced to three years in prison for replacing pain medication meant for patients with saline solution.
Jeffrey Leedy was found guilty of tampering with about 50 vials of fentanyl between November 2018 and May 2019 while working as a paramedic for Roanoke County Fire and Rescue, LewisGale Medical Center and Centra Lynchburg General Hospital, The Roanoke Times reported.
Leedy’s defense attorney claimed that Leedy was dealing with the “monster” of addiction to pain medication, which he turned to as a way to cope with traumatic calls at work.
During his sentencing hearing, Judge Michael Urbanski referenced Leedy’s work in overcoming his pain medication addiction, as several fellow recovering addicts from his treatment program were in the courtroom to support Leedy.
“The good you have done is manifest,” the judge told Leedy, and said that while he did commit “a terrible crime,” it “does not have to define you the rest of your life. I don’t think you are a bad person, Mr. Leedy. I don’t think you intended to harm your patients. I think you were dealing with that monster.”