A Long Island doctor has been found guilty of illegitimately prescribing oxycodone pills, an opioid, and may be facing up to 20 years in prison for each conviction on eight counts. The verdict for Dr. Roya Jafari-Hassad, from her Great Neck practice, came after a 10-day trial in Central Islip, as announced by the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, the Drug Enforcement Administration New York Division, and the Office of Inspector General’s Office of Investigations for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The conviction highlights Dr. Hassad’s involvement in the continuing opioid crisis, with the jury agreeing that she had placed profit before patient care. She was found to have charged patients hundreds of dollars for oxycodone prescriptions that were not medically warranted. Despite being acquitted of witness tampering charges, Dr. Jafari-Hassad is explicitly held accountable for her actions to freely prescribe these substances without any legitimate medical purpose, according to a statement obtained by the Department of Justice.
The investigation, which began in the spring of 2021, involved tape-recorded appointments over a nine-month period where Dr. Hassad issued prescriptions for hundreds of oxycodone pills to an undercover detective. The painkiller, known for its high potential for abuse, usually brings a euphoria akin to heroin when crushed into a powder and ingested. It is only to be dispensed by medical professionals for a legitimate medical purpose and in the usual course of a doctor’s professional practice. Yet, during the period surveilled, Dr. Hassad charged approximately $350 for a 15-day supply and about $700 for a 30-day supply of oxycodone, totaling thousands of dollars in cash…