Prosecutor seeks 4-year sentence for nurse in Esquel hospital morphine theft

Prosecutors in Argentina have requested a four-year prison sentence for Marcelo Gustavo Villarroel, a nurse found guilty by a jury of stealing morphine ampoules from the Hospital Zonal de Esquel.

During the sentencing phase, prosecutor Fidel González requested four years of effective imprisonment and an eight-year ban from practicing nursing. The defense has requested the legal minimum of one year of suspended prison time. The thefts occurred during the early morning hours of December 26, 2024, and January 5, 2025. Investigators determined that Villarroel used an illegitimate key to access a secured box in a hospital hallway to steal seven ampoules of the controlled analgesic.

The prosecution argued that the crime was premeditated and repeated, noting that Villarroel used his professional position and knowledge of hospital routines to avoid detection. Additionally, forensic analysis of the defendant's mobile phone reportedly revealed images of ampoules and messages regarding illegal medication maneuvers. The prosecution emphasized the public health risk posed by the unauthorized removal of morphine from the official medical circuit.