Iowa paramedic charged with allegedly stealing painkillers from ambulance

CARROLL COUNTY, Iowa — A Carroll County paramedic has been charged with felony drug fraud after allegedly stealing a liquid painkiller from an ambulance and replacing it with saline to hide the theft.

Teresa Marie Johnson is accused of unlawfully obtaining a controlled substance while working as a licensed paramedic in February 2025, KCCI reported.

The Iowa Bureau of Emergency and Medical Trauma Services said Johnson allegedly removed 25 micrograms of fentanyl from three different vials and replaced the painkiller with normal saline.

Johnson also faces five misdemeanor counts for unlawful drug possession. She hasn’t entered a plea and is set to be arraigned on April 21.

Police say the thefts occurred while she worked for Carroll County Ambulance and her paramedic license has been suspended due to what regulators called an “immediate danger” to public safety.

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