Dr. Raynaldo Ortiz, a former Dallas anesthesiologist, has been sentenced to 190 years in federal prison after tampering with IV bags, leading to the deaths of one doctor and several other patients.
Ortiz, convicted in April, was sentenced on Wednesday in a federal courthouse, Fox 4 reported.
Prosecutors presented chilling evidence showing Ortiz injecting harmful substances into IV bags at a North Dallas surgical center in 2022. The tampered bags caused 11 patients to suffer cardiac emergencies. Tragically, Dr. Melanie Kaspar, a fellow doctor, died after using one of the tainted IV bags to treat dehydration at home.
The case was further compounded by disturbing video footage showing Ortiz handling the contaminated IV bags before the patients’ medical crises. Ortiz had been under disciplinary review for another surgical error at the time of the incidents.
Dr. Kaspar’s husband testified during the trial, recounting his desperate attempt to revive his wife with CPR, but to no avail. The court was moved by the emotional testimony from the victims’ families, highlighting the profound impact of Ortiz’s actions.
In addition to the heart-wrenching cases of death and near-death, Ortiz’s actions endangered many others, including an 18-year-old patient who nearly died on the operating table after receiving a poisoned IV bag.