Traveling hospital tech pleads guilty in drug case
CONCORD, N.H. — A traveling hospital technician accused of causing a multistate outbreak of hepatitis C last year has pleaded guilty to federal drug charges in New Hampshire.
David Kwiatkowski faces 30 to 40 years in prison at sentencing, which was set for Dec. 3. He pleaded guilty Wednesday to 14 charges of drug theft and tampering. He was accused of stealing painkiller syringes from Exeter Hospital and replacing them with saline-filled syringes tainted with his blood.
Originally from Michigan, Kwiatkowski worked in 18 hospitals in seven states before being hired in New Hampshire in 2011. Forty-six people in four states have been diagnosed with the same strain of hepatitis C he carries.
The 34-year-old Kwiatkowski told the judge he was addicted to drugs and alcohol and was recently diagnosed with depression. As a traveling hospital technician, he was assigned by staffing agencies to fill temporary openings around the country. Along the way, he contracted hepatitis C, and is accused of infecting others by stealing painkiller syringes and replacing them with saline-filled syringes tainted with his blood.
According to a plea agreement filed Monday, Kwiatkowski told investigators he had been stealing drugs since 2002 — the year before he finished his medical training — and that his actions were “killing a lot of people.” His lawyers have declined numerous interview requests.
Forty-six people in four states in hospitals where Kwiatkowski worked have been diagnosed with the same strain of hepatitis C he carries: 32 patients in New Hampshire, seven in Maryland, six in Kansas, and one in Pennsylvania. One of the Kansas patients died, and authorities say hepatitis C, which can cause liver disease and chronic health problems, played a contributing role.
In New Hampshire, some of the infected patients have suffered serious physical and emotional issues, according to the plea agreement. Among the seven whose experiences led to the 14 charges, one man hasn’t been able to work since developing hepatitis C and another has had trouble controlling his diabetes. With his plea, Kwiatkowski will avoid criminal charges pertaining to patients outside New Hampshire.
