Dallas doctor sentenced to 190 years in prison for tampering with IV bags
A Dallas anesthesiologist who was convicted of tampering with IV bags has been sentenced this Wednesday to 190 years in prison.
In April, Raynaldo Ortiz was found guilty of tampering with IV bags by injecting them with Bupivacaine, an anesthetic drug. Jurors said they were left with no doubt of his guilt and convicted Ortiz on all 10 counts against him. Sentencing was set to begin on July 22, then was pushed back to Sept. 16 and again on Sept. 18.
A total of 10 patients were rushed to nearby emergency rooms after problems during their procedures. Additionally, Dr. Melanie Kaspar died after bringing a tainted IV bag home to treat her dehydration. Ortiz was only charged in four of the cases, but all of the alleged incidents were included in the judge's sentencing decision.
Ortiz was not in the courtroom, having waived his right to sit in Wednesday's sentencing hearing. He chose to sit in another room in the courthouse, out of sight of the victims and their families.
