A former registered nurse from Grosse Pointe Park has admitted to tampering with vials of fentanyl at a Detroit emergency room, according to federal prosecutors.

Travis Eskridge, 53, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of tampering with a consumer product, as confirmed by court records and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He is set to be sentenced on September 27 and could face up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release.

“Medical professionals are entrusted with patient care,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon. “When that trust is violated and patient safety is endangered, our office will act decisively.”

Authorities say Eskridge tampered with fentanyl intended for patients at Ascension St. John Hospital, where he worked in the emergency department. He admitted to removing fentanyl from vials, substituting it with another liquid, and returning the altered vials to the hospital’s secure drug storage system. He also acknowledged repeatedly stealing the drug over several months.

An indictment revealed that between May 1 and August 9, 2022, Eskridge accessed the hospital’s drug storage system without proper authorization on 178 occasions. He admitted to both taking and using the narcotic painkiller. He was indicted in January and the charges were unsealed in February.

Eskridge originally faced multiple counts, including three charges of product tampering, one count of theft of medical supplies by an employee, and one charge of obtaining controlled substances through fraud. He was removed from his position in August 2022 once the hospital uncovered the tampering and theft.

“Patients depend on receiving correct and safe medications from healthcare providers,” said Ronne Malham, Special Agent in Charge of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations in Chicago. “Healthcare workers who compromise patient safety by tampering with drugs will be held accountable.”

This case follows a troubling trend in Michigan involving healthcare professionals facing criminal charges. Recent incidents include an unlicensed man accused of practicing medicine in a nursing home, a nurse charged with identity theft of a deceased patient, and another nurse facing charges related to the assault of an elderly patient and falsifying records.