Gardner Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Tampering with Oxycodone

BOSTON - A Gardner man has agreed to plead guilty to tampering with opioids intended to be dispensed to patients in hospice and memory care in a healthcare facility in Fitchburg, Mass.

Andrew Milgrim, 37, agreed to plead guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product. He will make his initial appearance, waive indictment and plead to the Information at a date to be set by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman.

According to court filings, beginning in or about September 2024 and continuing through in or about February 2025, Milgrim allegedly diverted Oxycodone from patients in the skilled nursing and dementia care units of the Fitchburg healthcare facility. It is alleged that he began by taking Oxycodone pills that were prescribed to be dispensed to certain patients "as needed." Rather than provide the "as needed" doses to patients, Milgrim would allegedly consume the pills himself. Milgrim began taking 5 mg Oxycodone pills from various patients and replacing the diverted pills with Loratadine, an allergy medication, whose appearance resembled the appearance of the 5 mg Oxycodone pills. In or around January 2025, Milgrim also allegedly diverted 10 mg Oxycodone pills from an elderly patient in the locked unit, and replaced those pills with Levothyroxine, a thyroid medication.

The charge of tampering with a consumer product provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General; Michael Ahearn, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and Robert H. Goldstein, MD, PhD, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Brown is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.