A New York doctor has been convicted in an oxycodone lawsuit, alleging that he wrote illegal prescriptions for oxycodone in exchange for cash.

After five weeks of trial, a federal jury has convicted Dr. Michael Belfiore of charges brought by a Department of Justice criminal oxycodone lawsuit. The oxycodone lawsuit accused Belfiore of contributing to two overdose related deaths by illegally prescribing oxycodone as well as 26 counts of illegal distribution of oxycodone. He has been sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison and a $10 million fine.

According to the oxycodone lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice, Belfiore wrote thousands of 30-milligram prescriptions for oxycodone, even though the drug is typically prescribed in 5-milligram tablets.

In February 2013, Belfiore allegedly wrote an illegal prescription for 120 30-milligram oxycodone tablets for a 42-year-old man. According to the oxycodone lawsuit, the man overdosed and died in his home shortly after snorting the medication Belfiore prescribed.

In April 2013, Belfiore allegedly wrote another illegal prescription for 150 30-milligram oxycodone tablets for a 32-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran. The veteran, who served in Iraq, was found unresponsive a day later due to an oxycodone overdose and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

In order to catch the doctor in his opioid scheme, a detective went undercover as one of Belfiore’s patients. Between March and August of 2013, the undercover detective had six oxycodone prescriptions given to him without a reasonable medical purpose.

According to undercover surveillance released at a Department of Justice press release, Belfiore created fake medical charts to justify the illegal prescriptions. During office meetings with the undercover detective, Belfiore reportedly engaged in unrelated discussion of the doctor’s Porsche, trip to San Diego, and other interests instead of legitimate medical practice.

The U.S. Department of Justice says that oxycodone abuse is increasing in America due to the drug’s potency when crushed and ingested. Multiple officials have stated that corrupt physicians may be fueling the country’s opioid crisis by prescribing opioids to patients out of negligent irresponsibility or as part of a malicious drug scheme.

U.S. Attorney for Eastern New York, Richard P. Donoghue made a statement blaming physicians like Belfiore for opioid related deaths.

“Dr. Belfiore was not acting as a healer, but as a drug dealer with a prescription pad,” Donoghue stated, according to Law360. “The defendant lined his pockets with case from patients in exchange for illegally prescribing oxycodone, a particularly dangerous and addictive drug, with lethal results.”

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt also made a statement on the trial, saying “lives were lost at the hands of Dr. Belfiore”.

“From the time he was arrested, to today’s conviction, it was abundantly clear that Dr. Belfiore’s actions were not those of a medical doctor, but those of a drug dealer,” Hunt said following the jury’s decision. “[His] practice enabled addiction and overdose – both of which contribute to the current opioid crisis our nation is facing.”

The ruling in this case may set a precedent for similar cases aiming to hold doctors or manufacturers accountable for irresponsible opioid practices.

The Oxycodone Lawsuit is U.S. v. Belfiore, Case No. 2:15-cr-00242, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

In general, opioid overdose death lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.

If your loved died from an opioid overdose in the last three years from an addiction that began as a legal opioid prescription from his or her doctor, you may have a legal claim. Get help now by filling out the form on this page for a FREE case evaluation.

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