By Art Barnum
Chicago Tribune
Copyright 2007 Chicago Tribune Company
DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill. — A 22-year paramedic in DuPage and Will Counties was sentenced to 60 days in jail Thursday after pleading guilty to stealing morphine to feed his addiction to painkillers.
Daniel Karczewski, 43, of Morris, who was charged with burglary and official misconduct, was sentenced to work release in the DuPage County Jail by Circuit Judge Perry Thompson, who also placed him on 4 years of probation and ordered him to continue drug treatment. Karczewski, who has no previous criminal record, now works in a home improvement trade, not as a paramedic, said his attorney, Tim Martin.
“No one can say that drugs are a victimless crime, but there was a public violation of trust,” said Thompson, who could have sentenced Karczewski to up to 7 years in prison. Criminal charges of possession of illegal drugs were dropped Thursday as part of a plea agreement.
Karczewski pleaded guilty last month to similar charges in Will County and received 50 months of probation and a 6-month suspended jail sentence.
“He has embarrassed his family [and] his profession, but now he has beaten this horrible addiction,” said Martin, adding that Karczewski has enrolled in an intensive drug-treatment program and attends daily Narcotics Anonymous sessions.
Karczewski told Thompson he was “truly sorry for the disgrace.”
While on the job in 2006 in Joliet, Karczewski was discovered stealing a vial of morphine from a van parked at Silver Cross Hospital. When questioned by authorities, he claimed he had suffered a non-work-related back injury in 2004 and became addicted to Vicodin, Martin said. He was sentenced for this last month.
Karczewski admitted he also stole morphine while working for Glenside Fire Protection District from 2004 to 2006, for which he was sentenced Thursday.
Martin told Thompson his client would look for vials of morphine about to expire and replace them with vials of saline solution.
“No one ever suffered any pain because of his actions,” Martin said.
Assistant State’s Atty. Michael Pawl said “no one suffered that we know of, but he had to know as a seasoned paramedic that his actions had the potential to cause serious pain.”
Representatives from Lombard, Joliet, Glenside and Glen Ellyn fire departments testified Thursday that Karczewski had been a respected paramedic.