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Paramedic pleads guilty to replacing painkillers with water

Federal prosecutors said Joseph Comstock stole morphine and fentanyl for his personal use

By EMS1 Staff

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A paramedic pleaded guilty to replacing ambulance drugs with sterile water, according to federal prosecutors.

WPSD Local reported that while Joseph Comstock worked for two different EMS agencies, he stole the contents of morphine and fentanyl vials for his personal use and filled them with sterile water.

Comstock allegedly told prosecutors he began stealing the drugs in 2014 after having his tonsils removed, News Press Now reported. He also said he treated trauma patients with hip fractures with watered-down fentanyl at least twice.

In 2015, federal agents caught Comstock stealing morphine on two different occasions on surveillance video.

Comstock waved his right to a grand jury. He is facing a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison.

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