A former Iowa paramedic was sentenced to over two years in prison for tampering with stolen fentanyl vials, reducing their potency to 9.6%.

Teresa Marie Johnson, a 53-year-old former paramedic from Manilla, Iowa, was sentenced to over two years in federal prison on February 17, 2026, for tampering with fentanyl vials stolen from her former employer, a county ambulance service. She pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product, with evidence showing one vial contained only 9.6% of its intended potency due to physical tampering. Johnson was fined $5,000, ordered to repay $6,000 in fees, and sentenced to two years of supervised release. She surrendered her paramedic license as part of her plea deal and will report to federal prison at a later date. The case highlights concerns over opioid diversion in the region.