Dr. EMMANUEL LAMBRAKIS Pleads Guilty to Massive Oxycodone Distribution Scheme

A Manhattan doctor has admitted to running a massive scheme to distribute medically unnecessary oxycodone prescriptions, resulting in the illicit distribution of over two million pills with a street value in the tens of millions of dollars.

Dr. EMMANUEL LAMBRAKIS, 72, of Manhattan, New York, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to unlawfully distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone in Manhattan Federal Court. The scheme, which lasted from at least January 2011 until December 2016, saw LAMBRAKIS write thousands of oxycodone prescriptions in exchange for cash payments.

According to court documents, LAMBRAKIS operated two medical clinics in Queens, New York, where he would perform simple body manipulations and engage in little conversation with patients before issuing them prescriptions for large quantities of oxycodone. The prescriptions, which were often written for 120 30-milligram tablets or more, had a street value of up to $40 per tablet in New York City.

Between 2011 and 2016, LAMBRAKIS wrote thousands of oxycodone prescriptions, resulting in the illicit distribution of over two million oxycodone tablets. The doctor collected approximately over $2 million in fees from his patients, with some days seeing him write 100 or more prescriptions for 30-milligram oxycodone pills.

LAMBRAKIS’s scheme was uncovered by the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad, which comprises agents and officers from various law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Narcotics Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly J. Ravener, Jessica K. Fender, Ryan Finkel, Sarah Mortazavi, and Joshua A. Naftalis leading the investigation.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad, saying ‘their tireless efforts have helped to disrupt a major source of illicit oxycodone on the streets of New York City.’

LAMBRAKIS faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for his crimes. He is set to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III on February 7, 2020.

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