A former anesthesiology resident at Seattle Children’s Hospital was sentenced after stealing medications for himself from patients as young as 11 days old, according to the Department of Justice.
Andrew Voegel-Podadera, 36, admitted to secretly using fentanyl and hydromorphone while on duty at several local medical centers.
He was sentenced on Tuesday to one year of supervised release, which includes 200 hours of community service.
Voegel-Podadera was arrested in June 2025 and pleaded guilty in October 2025 to obtaining controlled substances while working at Seattle Children’s Hospital, Harborview Medical Center, and University of Washington Medical Center.
Between 2022 and 2024, Voegel-Podadera worked as a resident anesthesiologist within the University of Washington Medicine system.
Prosecutors say on Dec. 27, 2024, Voegel-Podadera treated three patients at Seattle Children’s, the youngest of whom was 11 days old.
During that shift, he stole pain medications meant for patients and replaced them with saline before returning the vials to the pharmacy as “wastage,” according to the DOJ
An attending physician reported Voegel-Podadera after noticing his behavior was odd. He eventually admitted to stealing and using drugs while on duty as early as January 2024.
“It is chilling to think that he took powerful narcotics while a tiny baby needed his full and unimpaired attention. This case should serve as a message that nobody is above the law and healthcare professionals will be held accountable when they divert narcotics and put patients in harm’s way,” U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd said.