A Dallas anesthesiologist, Raynaldo Riviera Ortiz Jr., has been sentenced to 190 years in federal prison for tampering with IV bags, resulting in multiple cardiac emergencies and the death of a colleague. Ortiz’s actions, which spanned several months in 2022, were uncovered through a swift investigation by the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI).
Between May and August 2022, doctors at Surgicare North Dallas began noticing unexplained cardiac emergencies during surgeries, with patients experiencing sudden spikes in blood pressure and other severe symptoms. The situation escalated when an anesthesiologist, who had worked at the center earlier that day, died after administering an IV bag to herself for dehydration. Her sudden death raised alarms among medical staff.
The turning point came when an 18-year-old patient was rushed to the intensive care unit after suffering severe complications during a routine sinus surgery. Doctors suspected that tampered IV bags were causing the complications. A subsequent investigation by OCI revealed disturbing evidence: Ortiz had been secretly injecting dangerous drugs, including bupivacaine, epinephrine, and lidocaine, into the IV bags used during surgeries.
“The defendant betrayed the trust of patients by tampering with critical medical supplies, and the result was serious bodily injury,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of these offenses and should make clear that the department will work tirelessly to investigate and prosecute anyone who endangers patients by tampering with drugs.”
Forensic analysis found a puncture in the bag’s plastic shell, further indicating that it had been tampered with. Surveillance footage introduced at trial revealed that Ortiz had been injecting saline IV bags with these drugs, placing them into a warming bin at the surgical center, and waiting for them to be used in surgeries.
After Ortiz retrieved the said IV bags from a warming bin, tampering with them, then placing them back for use in surgeries. His actions led to several cardiac emergencies, with one patient requiring critical care. Tragically, an anesthesiologist working at the facility also died after using a tampered IV bag. Ortiz was arrested on September 14, 2022, and his medical license was suspended.
“This disgraced doctor acted no better than an armed assailant spraying bullets indiscriminately into a crowd. Dr. Ortiz tampered with random IV bags, apparently unconcerned with who he hurt. But he wielded an invisible weapon, a cocktail of heart-stopping drugs, concealed inside an IV bag designed to help patients heal,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton for the Northern District of Texas. “On at least nine separate occasions, he essentially attacked unconscious patients lying on an operating table, and even killed a colleague. I am so proud of our office’s work in bringing Dr. Ortiz to justice and bringing a measure of solace to his victims and their families.”
The shocking nature of Ortiz’s crimes was underscored by further evidence presented at trial, including footage of him mixing vials of medication and watching as emergency responders wheeled patients out of the operating rooms.
The investigation revealed that Ortiz was under scrutiny for a potential medical mistake he had made in one of his own surgeries, which could have led to the loss of his medical license. The inquiry further uncovered another potential motive for Ortiz: he may have sought to undermine the surgeries conducted by his peers to shift focus from a supposed error he committed during one of his own procedures, which had already put him under scrutiny and at risk of losing his medical license. On September 14, 2022, OCI special agents took Ortiz into custody, only three weeks after they were notified of the tampering incidents. His medical license was suspended, and he remained in detention as he awaited his trial.
Ortiz was convicted in April 2024 on multiple counts of tampering with consumer products and drug adulteration. At his sentencing in November 2024, Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey described Ortiz’s actions as “tantamount to attempted murder.” Several victims provided emotional testimonies, including the husband of the deceased anesthesiologist, who recounted the heartbreak of losing his wife.
This case highlights the vital role of OCI in protecting public health and ensuring accountability for those who abuse their medical positions. Ortiz’s conviction and sentence serve as a stern reminder of the consequences for those who deliberately harm patients under the guise of medical care.
“This disgraced doctor acted no better than an armed assailant spraying bullets indiscriminately into a crowd. Dr. Ortiz tampered with random IV bags, apparently unconcerned with who he hurt. But he wielded an invisible weapon, a cocktail of heart-stopping drugs, concealed inside an IV bag designed to help patients heal,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton for the Northern District of Texas. “On at least nine separate occasions, he essentially attacked unconscious patients lying on an operating table, and even killed a colleague. I am so proud of our office’s work in bringing Dr. Ortiz to justice and bringing a measure of solace to his victims and their families.”
