After pleading guilty to product tampering and obtaining a controlled substance by deceit, a former Rose Medical Center surgery technician is awaiting her sentencing from the judge.

Kristen Parker made her guilty plea Sept. 25 and will be sentenced at 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 11. She pled guilty to five counts of product tampering and five counts of obtaining a controlled substance by deceit and could face up to 20 years in federal prison. Parker, from Elizabeth, was a former Rose Medical Center surgery “scrub” technician and was originally indicted by a federal grand jury July 23.

While working at the medical center, Parker had Hepatitis C. She is accused of stealing the narcotic drug Fentanyl from surgery patients and injecting the drug into herself with a syringe. She would then refill the same syringe with saline, which would be administered to surgery patients. Instead of getting pain medication, patients ended up with exposure to Parker’s Hepatitis C.

United States Attorney David Gaouetter said the plea agreement should reassure victims that the criminal justice system represents their interests.

This case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaime Pena.