Posted on 05/06/2005 9:50:41 AM PDT by sully777
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three New York doctors were charged on Thursday with giving large amounts of Viagra and other anti-impotence drugs to mob members in return for construction and auto repair work done by mafia-controlled businesses.
Arlen Fleisher, Stephen Klass and George Shapiro, all doctors in Westchester County, a suburban area north of New York City, were accused of trading prescription drugs and drug samples with members and associates of the Gambino crime family. The one-count complaint was filed in Manhattan federal court.
Lawyers for all three defendants said their clients denied wrongdoing.
If convicted, the men could face a maximum 10-year prison term. They were arrested at their homes on Thursday morning and released after each posted a $50,000 bond.
In addition to Viagra, the doctors are accused of giving out Cialis, Levitra and other prescription drugs. According to court papers, Gambino members used the drugs and also gave them to others. In one instance, a high-ranking member of the Gambino crime family asked Klass to get him the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor for his barber, court papers said.
Federal prosecutors said no value has been publicly stated for the value of the pharmaceuticals that were traded.
Richard Herman, a lawyer for Shapiro, told reporters his client denies the charges. Herman also said Shapiro has a "pristine" record as a cardiologist and no criminal record.
Shapiro had been treating Gregory DePalma, who prosecutors say is a powerful "captain" in the Gambino family, for a heart condition, Herman said.
DePalma was indicted for racketeering in March along with the acting Gambino boss and other members and associates of the organized crime family. The charges against the doctors grew out of the investigation into Gambino family activities.
The complaint said that by the end of the FBI's probe, "DePalma was running a virtual pharmacy for his associates as a result of the large quantity of prescription drugs and drug samples" that he received from the three doctors.
"He (Shapiro) never had those drugs in the first place, so he couldn't have given them out," Herman said.
Robert Wolf, one of the lawyers representing Fleisher, said it is an accepted practice among doctors to give patients samples.
"This is a message to the medical profession. Don't treat Italians," he told reporters. "This is rampant and accepted in the medical profession, unless your patient is Italian."
Another interesting development *ping*
Hmmm, must need more bodda bing, badda boom ....
Who knew that they needed drugs to be such big p***ks.
there must be a joeybeautifuko in this story somewhere. If the Mob wanted viagra, they'd get it by the pallet, not the bottle, LOL
Just look for Italian guys who walk funny.
Hardened criminals?
"Say hello to my little *whoa* friend!"
ROTFLMAO.
What happened to the PBSStreetGang? Elmo lost his bid to remain leader to Snuffy?
I doubt they'll get a conviction.
There's simply no way this will stand up in court.
They may have been threatened by the mob or something as well if they did this, in which case I would let them off.
As for samples, a lot of doctors do that. So much for doctors always trying to extort as much money from you as they can...they give meds to you for free sometimes.
Expected bone of contention.
Perhaps, in this instance, the doctor's assistant made the boner.
Police pulled yet another stiff outta the river, more @ 11.
"There's simply no way this will stand up in court."
Your post caught me by surprise. I'm a Southern Baptist, boy, born-again. I'm still laughing.
LMAO!! Best line of the day!
Stiffer penal terms for the lot of them!
This explains where all the Viagra spam is coming from.
Vic "the Torpedo" Gambino
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