DENVER — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Colorado), published as received.
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Shelbi Wolken, 35, of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product.
According to the plea agreement and the sentencing hearing, while working as a case management coordinator for Intermountain Health, Wolken abused her position and accessed electronic medical records and patients’ personal identifying information. In July 2024, officials at Intermountain Health discovered that the Wolken had used a patient’s information to pick up a prescription for oxycodone at the in-house pharmacy at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Denver. Wolken replaced the stolen medication with loratadine, an allergy medication. During further investigation, Wolken admitted to being addicted to opiates, and investigators found she had picked up approximately 139 prescriptions for approximately 127 patients between December 2023 and July 2024. Wolken replaced the stolen medications with a variety of ibuprofen, aspirin, acetaminophen, and loratadine. Several patients whose prescriptions were tampered with reported significant pain and post-surgical complications because they were unknowingly ingesting the wrong medication.
“This kind of conduct violates federal law, causes patient suffering, and puts people who are already facing medical challenges at risk,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “I hope this sentence sends a message to others who consider feeding their addictions by stealing prescribed medications from patients.”
“Patients rely on receiving the proper FDA-approved medications from those entrusted with their medical care,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Lamb, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “We must hold medical personnel accountable when they take advantage of their unique position and tamper with medications their patients need.”
“The opioid epidemic can impact those in the medical profession. At DEA, our investigators strive to hold healthcare providers to the highest of ethical standards and practices,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge Mark Putnam. “We appreciate our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in District of Colorado for its work on this important case.”
United States District Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the sentencing.
The investigation was handled by Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant United States Attorney Bryan Fields handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 26-cr-00023-NYW
