Probation for Allina paramedic who stole painkillers from 100-plus ambulance patients

An Allina Health paramedic is serving probation for stealing potent pain medication from more than 100 ambulance patients to feed his addiction. Matthew R. Peterson, 39, of Richfield, was sentenced last week in federal court in Minneapolis to three years of probation for "leaving vulnerable patients without the medicine they needed," said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. His sentence also orders him to undergo regular drug testing and bars him from holding a job that provides access to controlled substances. Peterson "abused his position of public trust by providing diluted pain medication to those facing critical health emergencies to fuel his own drug addiction," said Dan Moren, Drug Enforcement Administration assistant special agent in charge.