A Dallas anesthesiologist has been sentenced to a staggering 190 years in prison after it was revealed that he injected dangerous drugs into IV bags, causing at least one death.
Dr. Raynaldo Ortiz was found guilty in April of multiple charges, including intentionally contaminating drugs and tampering with products that harmed people. The sentencing took place on Wednesday, where the judge ordered that Ortiz serve 2,280 months in prison, all to be served one after the other.
After the trial, Leigha Simonton, the U.S. attorney, compared Ortiz’s actions to a gunman randomly shooting into a crowd. She said that Ortiz didn’t use a gun, but instead an invisible weapon—a mix of dangerous drugs hidden inside IV bags meant to help patients heal.
Ortiz’s crimes started between May and August 2022, when patients at Baylor, Scott & White SurgiCare North Dallas began experiencing sudden, life-threatening issues during routine procedures. Tragically, Dr. Melanic Kaspar, an anesthesiologist working at the same practice, passed away after using one of these contaminated IV bags to treat herself for dehydration.
Doctors began to suspect something was wrong when an 18-year-old patient went into critical condition after a routine sinus surgery. Lab tests revealed that the IV bag used in the procedure contained a mix of harmful drugs, including a nerve-blocker, a stimulant, and an anesthetic.
Prosecutors said that Ortiz had been injecting these dangerous drugs into saline IV bags before storing them in a warming bin for other doctors to use during surgeries. Surveillance footage even showed Ortiz taking IV bags from the bin just before surgeries, adding more drugs to them.
The situation became clearer after several patients experienced medical emergencies shortly after new IV bags were used.
During Ortiz’s sentencing, John Kaspar, the husband of Dr. Melanic Kaspar, shared a victim impact statement. He said Ortiz’s actions had killed his wife, but he also made it clear that Ortiz’s actions were calculated, not out of malice.
Although Ortiz wasn’t charged directly for Dr. Kaspar’s death, U.S. District Judge David Godbey said that Ortiz’s actions were as serious as attempted murder.
At the time of the incidents, Ortiz was already facing disciplinary action for a mistake he made during one of his own surgeries. His medical license was suspended in September 2022, as the Texas Medical Board determined that Ortiz’s actions were a serious threat to public safety.
This case has shocked many and serves as a reminder of how important it is for doctors to act with integrity and care. Ortiz’s actions have caused lasting pain for the victims and their families, and the sentence reflects the severity of his crimes.
