An Oxford man was sentenced on Thursday, March 23,  to three years supervised release and ordered to pay $30,405 in restitution for tampering with opioids while working as a paramedic with Baptist Ambulance.

According to court documents, Richard Fox Bowen, 35, of Oxford,  a former Baptist Ambulance employee, tampered with vials of Morphine and Fentanyl on or around October 2021, and at other times thereafter, while working his shift as a paramedic. The defendant injected himself with Fentanyl and Morphine from the vials and disguised his theft of the drugs by refilling the vials with saline solution. The defendant acted with reckless disregard by placing the tampered-with vials back into service, which put Baptist Ambulance patients in danger of bodily injury, and under the circumstances, manifested extreme indifference to this risk.

“Our office is committed to protecting the health and safety our citizens,” said United States Attorney Clay Joyner. “Actions like the ones committed by the defendant place citizens in grave danger of harm and bodily injury and cannot be tolerated.”

“Patients rely on the knowledge that they will receive FDA-approved medications to manage their conditions,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin Fielder, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office. “When health care professionals tamper with those needed medications, we will pursue and bring them to justice.”

The FDA Office of Inspector General investigated the case, working with Priority Ambulance Diversion Task Force.