Wyoming County Dentist Indicted in Opioid Scheme

Christopher Bereznak, a 48-year-old dentist from Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 6, 2018, on nine federal counts of unlawfully distributing controlled substances — a stark betrayal of his medical oath and a dangerous escalation in the region’s opioid epidemic.

The indictment, handed down by a federal grand jury in Scranton, alleges that between June and July 2016, Bereznak funneled powerful narcotics to an individual with whom he shared no legitimate doctor-patient relationship, had no medical justification, and operated completely outside the bounds of professional dental practice.

According to U.S. Attorney David J. Freed, the charges expose a calculated abuse of authority — using a DEA registration as a cover for illegal drug distribution. Bereznak’s license to practice dentistry in Pennsylvania and his federal DEA registration have since been suspended, cutting off his access to prescription narcotics.

The case was built through a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Scranton office, the Olyphant Police Department, and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office — a collaboration intensified under the reinvigorated Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, aimed at dismantling criminal networks fueling violent and drug-related crime.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Olshefski is leading the prosecution. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a term of supervised release, and steep fines. However, under federal sentencing guidelines, the court must weigh the nature of the offense, the defendant’s history, and the need for deterrence and public protection.

As with all federal cases, Bereznak is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. The indictment marks another crack in the facade of medical legitimacy often used to mask the illicit opioid trade — a trade that continues to ravage communities across Pennsylvania and the nation.