Judge rejects plea deal for Colorado surgery technician who infected patients with hepatitis C

Judge rejects plea deal for hep C surgery tech

DENVER — A federal judge in Denver has rejected a plea agreement for a drug-addicted surgery technician who infected three dozen people with hepatitis C.

Kristen Diane Parker accepted a plea agreement in September that stipulated a 20-year prison sentence.

She acknowledged stealing syringes filled with a painkiller from operating carts at Rose Medical Center in Denver and the Audubon Surgery Center in Colorado Springs and replacing them with syringes that were filled with saline, some of which were dirty.

U.S. District Judge Robert E. Blackburn said Friday that the plea agreement “unreasonably” restricted his sentencing prerogative and didn’t incorporate the positions of the victims.

Another court date hasn’t been set yet.