NEW YORK, NY – A Manhattan doctor has confessed to turning his practice into a drug-peddling operation, illegally distributing over 250,000 pills of highly addictive narcotics. JOSEPH OLIVIERI, 72, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, pled guilty today to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.
The five-year scheme, detailed in court filings, saw Olivieri raking in over $1 million in cash while knowingly prescribing opioids – oxycodone, oxymorphone, and morphine sulfate – to individuals with no genuine medical need. He wasn’t healing patients; he was fueling addiction, and profiting from it. Federal prosecutors revealed Olivieri was among the top 15 opioid prescribers in New York State during the period of the conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman didn’t mince words: “As he admitted today, Joseph Olivieri violated his oath to practice medicine for the sole purpose of improving his patients’ health and instead hid behind his medical license to sell addictive, dangerous narcotics. He put his peoples’ lives at risk to line his own pockets. He now faces time in prison for his crimes.”
The operation wasn’t a solo act. MATTHEW BRADY, 34, of Staten Island, New York, previously pled guilty on April 30, 2019, to his role in the conspiracy. Brady allegedly arranged for individuals posing as patients to obtain prescriptions from Olivieri, then collected the pills for unlawful resale. The pair operated with brazen disregard for the harm they were causing.
Olivieri faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for August 5, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty. Brady, also facing a maximum of 20 years, is slated to be sentenced July 30, 2019, by the same judge. These maximums are set by Congress, and the actual sentences will be determined by Judge Crotty.
The takedown was a joint effort by the New York City Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara La Morte, Robert B. Sobelman, and Daniel C. Richenthal of the Office’s Narcotics Unit. This case serves as a stark reminder that even those sworn to heal can be corrupted by greed.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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