When you are being treated at the hospital, you hope that the people taking care of you are at the top of their game. Whether it’s their skills, understanding of medicine, or being as present and focused as possible, it’s important to have that trust. A former doctor in Washington has admitted that he was not living up to his end of that relationship. Andrew Voegel-Podadera, who worked as an anesthesiologist at various hospitals across the Seattle area, was charged after he admitted that he was stealing powerful drugs from patients. And not only that, but he was also using those drugs while on the clock.
Voegel-Podadera, a 36-year-old former anesthesiology resident, was sentenced on February 2, 2026, the US Attorney’s Office Western District of Washington announced in a media release. He received one year of supervised release and 200 hours of community service. The former doctor was “diverting narcotic pain medication” and using it for himself while treating patients.
Voegel-Podadera was arrested in June 2025, and charged with obtaining controlled substances by fraud, according to the release. In October 2025, he pleaded guilty to the charges. He admitted he took fentanyl, hydromorphone, and other medications while working in the UW Medicine system over the course of a year.
Voegel-Podadera also admitted that sometimes he used the medications while he was still on the clock, the release noted. He worked at hospitals including Seattle Children’s Hospital and Harborview and University of Washington Medical Centers. This means he was treating children while under the influence of serious narcotics.
“This was a serious offense … the consequences of which could have been more serious and tragic,” US District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson said during sentencing.
Prosecutors asked that the disgraced doctor get prison time. “Anesthesiologists administer precise doses of potent medications and perform delicate procedures like intubations …. Voegel-Podadera’s behavior put [his patients] at risk. An intoxicated doctor is far more likely to make mistakes, and mistakes in this setting can be costly,” they wrote to the court.
Voegel-Podadera worked as a resident anesthesiologist between 2022 and 2024, KIRO reported.
On December 27, 2024, he treated three patients, including one who was just 11 days old, at Seattle Children’s. During his shift, he stole medications meant for patients, replacing them with saline before returning them to the hospital’s pharmacy and labeling them “wastage.”
An attending physician noticed “his behavior was odd” and reported him, per KIRO. Eventually, Voegel-Podadera admitted that he was stealing drugs and using them while on the clock as early as January 2024.
“This defendant was entrusted with caring for patients, including young and vulnerable patients,” US Attorney Neil Floyd shared in the DOJ press release. “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.”
During sentencing, Voegel-Podadera said he regretted not seeking help for his addiction sooner, KOMO reported. His lawyer told the court he was fired from his anesthesiology residency program, had to surrender his federal registration to prescribe medication, and lost his medical license for at least five years. He now speaks to medical residents about the danger of substance abuse.
