Fairfield Doctor Paul Bellofiore Sentenced in Oxycodone Scheme

Fairfield physician Paul Bellofiore, M.D., 56, of Trumbull, is off the hook for prison—but not for crime. Today, U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson sentenced Bellofiore to two years of probation for illegally prescribing oxycodone, handing down a ruling that slaps the doctor with 200 hours of community service and a ban on writing controlled substance prescriptions until October 13, 2017. The verdict marks the end of a federal case built on predated scripts, out-of-state patients, and a pipeline of pills funneled from Connecticut to Florida.

Bellofiore, who operated a medical practice in Fairfield, didn’t just bend the rules—he torched them. Federal prosecutors revealed that he doled out months’ worth of predated prescriptions for oxycodone and Percocet to a married couple who relocated to Florida around 2011. Despite knowing the couple had a history of obtaining forged opioid prescriptions from his former medical assistant, Bellofiore kept feeding their supply. Every six months, during brief trips back to Connecticut, the pair would visit his office and walk out with stacks of prescriptions—already dated for future months—authorizing thousands of powerful painkillers.

When travel wasn’t possible, Bellofiore made it worse. He allowed a friend of the couple to pick up the pre-signed prescriptions from his office. That third party would then fill the scripts at a Connecticut pharmacy each month and mail the pills to Florida—circumventing state laws and warning signs at every turn. Bellofiore failed to list the patients’ Florida address on the prescriptions, shielding the scheme from pharmacists who might have flagged the suspicious out-of-state activity.

The jig was up by February 2016, when Bellofiore handed over a fresh batch of falsified prescriptions. These documents were backdated to create the illusion of legitimate monthly visits. In reality, no exams were conducted, no evaluations made—just a steady, illegal stream of Schedule II narcotics. Authorities say the couple resold a significant portion of the medication through a middleman, flooding streets in and around Waterbury with diverted opioids.

Federal law is clear: doctors can’t issue multiple prescriptions for Schedule II drugs like oxycodone that exceed a 90-day supply. Each prescription must be written on the day of the visit and include the patient’s full name and address. Bellofiore violated every safeguard. On October 13, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of issuing unlawful prescriptions for oxycodone—and has been barred from prescribing controlled substances ever since.

The DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, a joint task force including officers from Bristol, Greenwich, Hamden, Milford, New Haven, Shelton, Vernon, and Wilton Police Departments, led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi M. Perry prosecuted the case, underscoring federal resolve to crack down on pill mill practices hiding behind white coats. Bellofiore kept his freedom—but lost his license to play doctor with opioids.