KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Former Cheshire Medical Center nurse Steven Finnell received a fully suspended state prison sentence Thursday, concluding a case that exposed yet another opioid diversion scandal at the regional hospital.

Finnell, 33, pleaded guilty in Cheshire County Superior Court to obtaining morphine by fraud after investigators found he had taken opioid medications intended for patients while working in the Emergency Department.

Judge Anne M. Edwards sentenced Finnell to one to four years in state prison but suspended the entire term on the condition that he remain on good behavior, comply with two years of probation, and follow all treatment and monitoring requirements. The sentence also includes restrictions on entering Cheshire Medical Center except for medical care, and mandated substance use disorder treatment. He must participate in counseling and programs as directed and is required to provide a DNA sample under state law.

Finnell’s misconduct was first uncovered on Jan. 16, when hospital staff identified irregularities in the administration of controlled substances. Prosecutors later alleged that between June of 2024 and January of 2025, he repeatedly administered only partial doses of opioids — including fentanyl, morphine, and dilaudid — and kept the remaining amounts for himself. A grand jury indicted him in June, and Finnell admitted the conduct, prompting the New Hampshire Board of Nursing to suspend his license before he ultimately surrendered it in May.

The case revived concerns about drug security at Cheshire Medical Center, which has struggled for years with controlled-substance losses. In 2022, federal investigators found that more than 21 gallons of fentanyl solution had disappeared over a two-year period, resulting in a $2 million fine and a three-year corrective action plan. That same year, an ICU nurse admitted to stealing hundreds of bags of fentanyl solution before dying one month later, and three additional employees were disciplined for record-keeping failures.

Despite new monitoring protocols put in place after those incidents, Finnell’s diversion took place nearly three years later. Hospital officials have said they promptly notified law enforcement and regulators once his misconduct was detected and terminated his employment.