Damian Williams, the US Lawyer for the Southern District of New York, introduced earlier immediately {that a} federal jury discovered HOWARD ADELGLASS responsible for his participation in a conspiracy to illegally prescribe oxycodone. The defendant was discovered responsible following a two-week trial earlier than U.S. District Decide Jed S. Rakoff. Sentencing is scheduled for March 8, 2023, earlier than Decide Rakoff.
U.S. Lawyer Damian Williams mentioned: “Physician Howard Adelglass was a drug supplier, however as a substitute of peddling medication on the road nook, he distributed medication with a prescription pad from his Central Park South ‘pain-management clinic.’ For years, the defendant prescribed huge portions of extremely addictive and lethal opioids to folks he knew had been affected by substance abuse problems or had been sellers. By distributing mammoth portions of oxycodone tablets to folks with no legit medical function, the defendant destroyed lives and households. Together with our legislation enforcement companions, we’ll proceed to carry accountable these accountable for fueling the opioid disaster that’s ravaging our group and nation.”
In line with the allegations contained within the Indictment, the proof provided at trial, and issues included in public filings:
HOWARD ADELGLASS was a licensed doctor. Along with Marcello Sansone, the defendant operated a pain-management clinic situated in Midtown Manhattan (the “Clinic”). The Clinic serviced purported sufferers looking for oxycodone and different pain-relief drugs generally diverted for illicit functions. In trade for money funds, and in some cases for cocaine, ADELGLASS wrote 1000’s of prescriptions for giant portions of oxycodone, and lots of he wrote to people whom ADELGLASS knew didn’t want the tablets for a legit medical function. After they occurred, ADELGLASS’s examinations had been perfunctory. The defendant’s purported sufferers included people hooked on opioids and, in some instances, who bought oxycodone on the road. Even when confronted with clear proof of his purported sufferers’ drug abuse and diversion, ADELGLASS continued to prescribe massive portions of oxycodone to them.
Initially, ADELGLASS staffed the Clinic with inexperienced younger girls, a few of whom he hooked on oxycodone. In roughly October 2018, after serving as a main supply of affected person referrals, Sansone took over because the Clinic’s workplace supervisor. In that function, Sansone helped to manage entry to ADELGLASS and the profitable prescriptions he wrote for medically pointless oxycodone. With significantly weak sufferers, the defendants solicited and, in some cases, acquired intercourse acts in trade for oxycodone prescriptions.
Between in or about November 2017 and in or about September 2020, ADELGLASS prescribed greater than 1.3 million oxycodone tablets.
On October 13, 2022, Sansone pled responsible to conspiracy to illegally distribute oxycodone. Sansone is scheduled to be sentenced on February 13, 2023, earlier than Decide Rakoff.
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ADELGLASS, 67, of New York, New York, was convicted of conspiracy to illegally distribute oxycodone, which carries a most sentence of 20 years in jail.
The utmost potential sentence on this case is prescribed by Congress and is offered right here for informational functions solely, as any sentencing of the defendants can be decided by the choose.
Mr. Williams praised the excellent investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York Metropolis Police Division, and the Division of Well being and Human Providers, Workplace of the Inspector Normal.
This case is being dealt with by the Workplace’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas W. Chiuchiolo, Marguerite B. Colson, and Daniel G. Nessim are accountable for the prosecution.