A Manhattan doctor and two others have been charged with distributing millions of dollars’ worth of oxycodone pills in Staten Island.
According to the indictment unsealed in federal court, David Taylor, 74, along with Vito Gallicchio, 48, and Daniel Garcia, 57, conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone from January 2012 through at least June 2017.
The indictment alleges that the trio wrote medically unnecessary prescriptions for oxycodone over a five-year period, fueling the opioid epidemic in Staten Island.
“As the opioid epidemic wreaks havoc on too many of our communities, for years, Dr. David Taylor and his co-conspirators allegedly wrote prescriptions for and distributed medically unnecessary oxycodone,” said Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon Kim. “Doctors should be advancing the health of our citizens, not allegedly fueling the biggest health crisis facing the country, the opioid abuse epidemic.”
Taylor, Gallicchio, and Garcia were arrested and are expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott later today. The case has been assigned to United States District Court Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr.
The charges against the three defendants carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Narcotics Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kiersten A. Fletcher and Dina Y. McLeod leading the prosecution.
The investigation was led by the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad (Group TDS-NY), which comprises agents and officers from the DEA, the NYPD, the New York State Police, New York State Department of Financial Services, and New York City Department of Investigation.
The charges are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The indictment alleges that millions of dollars’ worth of pain medication was diverted onto the streets of Staten Island, enabling addiction and overdoses on the borough. The arrests will impact Staten Island’s opioid market by shutting down an illicit pill distribution operation located at the heart of the borough, along Hylan Boulevard.
The NYPD will aggressively pursue those who distribute illegal prescription drugs, said NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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