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New York City Doctor Sentenced to 5 Years for Fentanyl Prescription Scheme
A Manhattan doctor has been sentenced to 57 months in prison for accepting bribes and kickbacks in exchange for prescribing a potent fentanyl-based spray. Jeffrey Goldstein, 51, of New Rochelle, New York, pleaded guilty on August 16, 2019, and was sentenced on [no date mentioned] by U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood.
Goldstein, who practiced on the Upper East Side, was accused of conspiring to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute in connection with a scheme to prescribe Subsys, a powerful fentanyl opioid, in exchange for bribes and kickbacks from Subsys’s manufacturer, Insys Therapeutics. He received approximately $196,000 in Speaker Program fees from Insys in exchange for prescribing large volumes of Subsys.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said, “Jeffrey Goldstein, an Upper East Side Manhattan doctor, prescribed Subsys, a powerful fentanyl opioid, in return for nearly $200,000 in bribes from the drug’s manufacturer, Insys Therapeutics. Goldstein put his own patients at risk in order to satisfy his own greed, and will now spend time in federal prison for recklessly prescribing this highly addictive and powerful opioid.”
According to the allegations, Insys launched a “Speakers Bureau” in August 2012 to induce doctors to prescribe large volumes of Subsys by paying them Speaker Program fees. Goldstein was a prominent speaker and received other items of value from Insys, including a trip to a Manhattan strip club where Insys spent approximately $4,100 on a private room, alcoholic drinks, and “lap dances” for Goldstein and his co-owner Todd Schlifstein.
In addition to the prison sentence, Goldstein was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $196,600. This case serves as a warning to the medical community that taking bribes in return for prescribing will result in prosecution and significant prison time.
Jeffrey Goldstein, 51, of New Rochelle, New York, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for conspiring to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. He received approximately $196,000 in bribes from Insys Therapeutics in exchange for prescribing Subsys, a powerful fentanyl opioid. He was also ordered to forfeit $196,600 and serve two years of supervised release.
This case is a prime example of the dangers of pharmaceutical companies influencing doctors to prescribe their products in exchange for bribes. The consequences for Goldstein are severe, and he will now serve time in federal prison for his actions.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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