Ex-Councilman, Pharmacist Indicted On Drug Charges
Dr. Vincent Esposito allegedly conspired with local pharmacist to distribute painkillers, according to the Attorney General's Office.
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A former Madison councilman who ran a medical practice on Main Street was indicted Friday on charges of selling painkiller prescriptions, the Attorney General's Office announced.
Dr. Vincent Esposito, 55, and pharmacist Srinivasa Raju, 41, of Clifton, allegedly conspired to sell OxyContin prescriptions and have them filled at Bottle Hill Pharmacy, where Raju worked.
The second-degree conspiracy and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance indictment was handed up by a state grand jury in Mercer County. The case was assigned to Morris County.
Esposito was charged last February and Raju was charged in March after a yearlong investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau.
Esposito was arrested Feb. 16, and Raju was arrested on March 6. Bottle Hill Pharmacy was acquired by Walgreens in December and closed.
Esposito, who has denied the charges, was a member of the Madison Borough Council at the time of his arrest and served the remainder of his term, which ended in December. He has agreed to temporarily surrender his medical license pending the disposition of the case.
Authorities allege Esposito allegedly prescribed OxyContin and other forms of oxycodone to people he did not treat or examine and, in some cases, never saw at all, including undercover law enforcement informants.
"It is further alleged that Esposito at times would write prescriptions after the fact to cover quantities of oxycodone that were dispensed by Raju without a prescription," according to the news release.
Esposito and Raja are each free on $75,000 bail.
“It is appalling that a small-town doctor who was also a local councilman would allegedly conspire in the illicit distribution of these dangerous, highly addictive painkillers,” Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa said. “We allege that he turned his physician’s oath to do no harm on its head and made a mockery of his pledge to serve the community.”
Elie Honig, deputy director of the Division of Criminal Justice, said the case "illustrates how licensed professionals are becoming involved in this dark trade."
Chiesa commended the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for their investigation and thanked Madison police and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance in the investigation.
Under New Jersey law, second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000.
The Good Guy
7:46 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
I love it when bad guys go down in a raging ball of flame...
I makes being The Good Guy worth the effort.
Mikey D
8:08 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Here comes the BOOM!
About time.
Arrest the rest of the Borough Council for fraud and I'll sleep well.
lenora clarkq
11:20 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
I am sorry for Raj. I new him at bottle hill pharmacy and he was always so gracious and nice. He seemed to go out of his way for his customers which I appreciated.
I hope he and his family will come thru this mess . goodluck Raj!
carl chiofolo
9:20 am on Saturday, February 23, 2013
Lenora I understand you knew Raj but he is no better than the gang member thug that sells drugs on a street corner in a bad neighborhood! What these two men were doing was common place in the state of Florida. Two years ago the DEA in accordance with other state and federal agencies swept through all the "Pill Mills" and shut them down. Do you know who suffers the most? PEOPLE LIKE ME! Who are chronic pain patients and NEED the medicine to get through everyday life. I went to Florida on a extended vacation and it was impossible for me to get the pharmaceutical drugs I needed!
I hope this doesn't start to happen in New Jersey! Prescription medication addiction is the biggest epidemic in this country right now. These two, if guilty should get maximum penalties! It's absolutely horrible thing they were doing. I have to treat my medication as if its worth $5000. Lock it up at home, because who knows if some addict found out that I have the pills. He/ She may break into my home/car.
Don't feel bad for Raj! He made his own bed! Feel bad for the cancer , post operation, lupus and chronic pain patients who no longer can get their meds because they were sold for CASH! What dirt merchants!
JS
9:49 pm on Sunday, February 24, 2013
Amen!
pills
2:05 pm on Saturday, February 23, 2013
Prescription pills are the latest and most deadly trend. Don't believe me, go sit in drug court at superior court.
John F Hoover
7:34 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Throw the book at him and recall the Borough Council members and Mayor who let him stay on the Council.
Aladdin Sarsippius Sulemenagic Jackson III
9:41 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
So what mechanism does Mr. Hoover suggest the Mayor and Council follow to remove a duly elected councilperson? Our Code does not provide for removal, does it? Perhaps you should hurry up and move to Saudi Arabia already.
Linda Augustine
9:15 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Esposito should never have been allowed to remain on the Madison counsel. It is not a matter of "innocent until proven guilty." Any person of honor, especially a public servant, should have resigned until the shameful controversy was duly resolved. Any person of honor would not have dragged Madison through the mud. Those persons on the council & "behind the scenes," who failed to urge Esposito off the council, have acted wrongfully, disgracefully. What really is so particularly awful is that the accused felon was given the responsibility for managing Madison's travesty of an electric supply program, also, in & of itself, violative of constitutional rights.
I am just so so so relieved that Madison has a wonderful new mayor & 2 new really smart & "with it" council members. A new start for Madison. Let's emerge from the shame & backwardness.
Richard Thornton
10:44 am on Saturday, March 16, 2013
I am not as emotionally mired as the prior posters are; Esposito was my doctor for over 10 years and I thought he was an excellent, caring professional who understand the emotions of his patients, I for one. I went to an ENT in Morristown and he claimed I had Meniere's disease; I went to Esposito and he diagnosed me with an ear infection immediately. Esposito does not deserve prison, he deserves a second chance.
carl chiofolo
2:37 pm on Friday, March 22, 2013
Richard Thornton are you out of your mind? A second chance! This guy chose to supply opiates to drug addicts for the quick cash rather than follow the Hippocratic oath he took when he became a doctor! "Do no harm"......what b.s.!
He should lose his license to practice for a minimum of 5 years after he gets out of prison.
carl chiofolo
7:10 pm on Friday, March 22, 2013
Mr. Thornton, because he correctly diagnosed you makes him worthy of a second chance? Isn't that his job? So by your methodology if I went to Walmart to buy some Tide laundry detergent and the cashier says "Sir, I have a $2.00 off coupon for that". I would thank the cashier and go to his line every time I was in Walmart. Then when he gets busted for slinging crack cocaine we should give him a second Chance because he was a good cashier.
That's just wrong. Your doctor abused his prescription writing privileges for money. Raj the Rx abused his proscription filling privileges for money.
What if they find out that one of the people that were buying these opiates overdosed ?.......They could be charged with wrongful death!
Find another doctor and go to a true "Family" run business at Madison Pharmacy. Frank Iannarone and his staff are the best and do everything legal.
Richard Thornton
6:06 am on Saturday, March 30, 2013
"People who use opiates", people like you Carl?
Richard Thornton
6:24 am on Saturday, March 30, 2013
Carl, if someone is dumb enough to od on opiates, oh well, another darwin award is granted, people like limbaugh.