Dallas Anesthesiologist Sentenced to 190 Years

Dr. Raynaldo Rivera Ortiz Jr., an anesthesiologist in Dallas, was sentenced to 190 years in federal prison for injecting dangerous drugs into IV bags, leading to the death of a colleague and cardiac emergencies in several patients. His actions were discovered following the death of Dr. Melanie Kaspar, who used a tainted IV bag for dehydration, prompting an investigation into a pattern of tampering at Surgicare North Dallas. Between May and August 2022, multiple patients experienced critical health emergencies during routine procedures, which were linked to Ortiz's actions. Prosecutors presented security footage showing Ortiz filling syringes with drugs and argued that he had a history of disciplinary issues prior to the incidents. Despite his conviction and the severity of the sentence, Ortiz's defense plans to appeal the verdict. U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton likened Ortiz's actions to an armed gunman, emphasizing the grave danger he posed to patients.