Urologist doctor Francis Martinis and his wife, Jessica Martinis, who appeared on the Bravo channel’s reality TV series “Below Deck,” were indicted on drug charges in New York yesterday for allegedly writing fake opioid prescriptions using the names of others. cast members of the show.
The Martinis couple, residents of Fort Salonga (Long Island, NY), were accused of criminal sale of a prescription for a controlled substance by a doctor and falsify business records. The couple’s attorney, Peter Crusco, called the charges “false.”
The 55-year-old doctor and his 38-year-old wife appeared in state court in Riverhead, Suffolk County, after they were first arrested in May. They were released without bail and They are due back in court on January 25.reported Pix11.
Prosecutors said Dr. Martinis passed along prescriptions from opioide oxicodona to Long Island pharmacies with the names of other “Below Deck” cast members listed as alleged patients. His wife then picked up the drugs and paid in cash, prosecutors said.
Jessica Martinis first raised red flags in January 2023 when she attempted to fill a handwritten prescription for oxycodone on someone else’s behalf.
An investigation found evidence of numerous fake oxycodone prescriptions that Dr. Martinis had written naming members of the “Below Deck” cast as patients, authorities said. That TV series follows the crew of a multimillion-dollar charter boat in the Caribbean.
Actually, No portion of the oxycodone was intended for the people named in the prescriptions, prosecutors said.
“Doctors are held to a high standard, swearing to uphold a set of professional ethical standards when they begin their careers,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said in a statement. “The conduct that Dr. Martinis allegedly engaged in with his wife not only violated this oath, but also violated the law.”
Frank Tarentino, special agent of the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in New Yorkcommented: “These arrests are a reminder that the diversion of illicit drugs by a doctor can lead to irreparable harm such as drug overdoses and poisonings that currently plague our nation.”
All charges are mere accusations and those charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
2023-12-15 14:26:30
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