Orange County paramedic resigns after trying to steal fentanyl, investigators say

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Fire Rescue said a paramedic has resigned after he attempted to steal fentanyl that was intended for a patient.

An investigation into the behavior of Alexander Eljabbour began when a firefighter lieutenant found a small vial of the pain medication unsecured in a fire rescue vehicle, officials said.

Investigators believe Eljabbour hid it there after he lied about giving it to a patient.

Eljabbour as working at Fire Station 35 in Windermere when his unit responded to a medical call.

Eljabbour described the patient's symptoms as "significant discomfort with minimal improvement to pain" as he was en route.

Officials said Eljabbour told hospital personnel that he administered 50 micrograms of fentanyl to the patient, before the lieutenant found the vial hidden behind a seat inside the fire rescue vehicle.

Investigators said they believe Eljabbour took advantage of a fairly new EMT who might have not been familiar with procedure.

Orange County said it takes additional security procedures to secure its medication by tracking the number of vials or containers in a database, and use of medication must be verified by a secondary witness.

Cox Media Group