Probation, workhouse duty for paramedic who stole drugs
A mugshot of Robert Lien from 2012.
MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - A paramedic who was convicted of stealing drugs from an ambulance was sentenced to five years of probation and 180 days in a county workhouse Thursday, with an opportunity to reduce the felony charge to a misdemeanor if terms are completed successfully.
Robert Lien, 37, is unlikely to ever get his paramedic license back after replacing several vials of Dialudid, a highly concentrated opiate, with saline solution in December of 2015. He also stole a number of prescription drugs, including fentanyl and more Dialudid, from a storage locker around the same time.
He admitted to the crimes in court and was originally sentenced to 15 months in prison, though Lien will not have to serve the sentence if he completes the terms of his probation successfully. He is also subject to a $6,000 fine.