Former anesthesiologist found guilty of tampering with IV bags sentenced to prison
Nov 20, 2024
A former Dallas anesthesiologist found guilty earlier this year of tampering with IV bags has been sentenced to 190 years behind bars.
Dr. Raynaldo Ortiz was accused of injecting heart-stopping drugs into five IV bags and placing them in a warming bin for other medical staff to use on their patients at Baylor Scott & White’s SurgiCare in North Dallas over five days in August 2022.
A federal jury found him guilty in April of 10 counts of tampering with IV bags and the adulteration of drugs. His sentencing in federal court was expected to happen in September but was delayed until Nov. 20.
Four patients suffered cardiac emergencies during low-risk cosmetic procedures, which required them to be rushed to the hospital. Ortiz is implicated, but not charged, in the death of fellow anesthesiologist Dr. Melanic Kaspar in June 2022. Kaspar reportedly took an IV bag home to rehydrate herself and died in front of her husband. Her autopsy found a lethal dose of bupivacaine in her system.
Kaspar’s widow, John Kaspar, spoke with NBC 5 on Wednesday.
“He killed my wife,” Kaspar said. “It wasn’t through malice. It was through pure calculation.”
Ortiz was sentenced to 2,280 months in prison or 190 years. The defendant waived his right to appear and was not in court Wednesday when his sentence was announced.
RAYNALDO ORTIZ
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